whisker

noun

whis·​ker ˈ(h)wi-skər 

1

a

: a hair of the beard

b whiskers plural

(1)

archaic : mustache

(2)

: the part of the beard growing on the sides of the face or on the chin

c

: hairbreadth

lost the race by a whisker

2

: one of the long projecting hairs or bristles growing near the mouth of an animal (such as a cat or bird)

3

: an outrigger extending on each side of the bowsprit to spread the jib and flying jib guys

—usually used in plural

4

a

: a shred or filament resembling a whisker

b

: a thin hairlike crystal (as of sapphire or copper) of exceptional mechanical strength used especially to reinforce composite structural material

whiskered

ˈ(h)wi-skərd 

adjective

whiskery

ˈ(h)wi-sk(ə-)rē 

adjective

Examples of whisker in a Sentence

He won the race by a whisker.

Recent Examples on the Web

How pet tracker technology works The technology works by identifying unique features of each animal — from eye shape and whisker length to unusual markings and tail curvature. —Analisa Novak, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025

The bowls are quite deep and narrow and aren’t super easy for cats to reach, which could cause whisker fatigue. —Molly Higgins, Wired News, 14 Apr. 2025

Engineered by Colossal Biosciences, the mice have curly whiskers and hair that grows three times longer than that of typical lab mice. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025

Still, some of those whiskers were choice, and three films in particular, all of which were acquired for U.S. distribution during the event, struck me as worth putting on everyone’s radar now. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

singular of whiskers mustache, from whisk entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing whisker

• within a whisker of

Rhymes for whisker

• brisker

Kids Definition

whisker

noun

whis·​ker ˈhwis-kər 

ˈwis-

1

a

: a hair of the beard

b

plural : the part of the beard growing on the sides of the face or on the chin

2

: one of the long hairs or bristles growing near the mouth of an animal (as a cat or mouse)

whiskered

-kərd 

adjective