whisker

noun

whis·ker | \ ˈhwi-skər

, ˈwi-\

Definition of whisker

1a : 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

4a : 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

Other Words from whisker Example Sentences Learn More about whisker

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Other Words from whisker

whiskered \ ˈhwi-skərd

, ˈwi- \ adjective

whiskery \ ˈhwi-sk(ə-)rē

, ˈwi- \ adjective

Examples of whisker in a Sentence

He won the race by a whisker.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pipe on pink frosting ears and white frosting whiskers. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Chocolate Apple Cat Faces," 13 Sep. 2019 July 5 As a great observing challenge, look for the whisker-thin waxing crescent moon hanging low in the southwest sky on the evening of the 5th, about 30 to 60 minutes after your local sunset. — Andrew Fazekas, National Geographic, "Saturn at its best, and more top stargazing events in July," 1 July 2019 Meanwhile, stack several of the kale leaves and cut into whisker-thin slices. — Daniel Neman, Twin Cities, "Four recipes to celebrate the in-season, in-the-moment kale," 20 June 2019 At the very least, the whiskers help Thompson get into character as the grizzled veteran in the SDSU secondary. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "5 questions with ... Aztecs DB Tariq Thompson," 5 Aug. 2019 Unfortunately and somewhat ironically for Perez, the 'ugly', quiet man with the walrus whiskers and little appetite for celebrity was the very best person in the world to make the impossible Galacticos project work. — SI.com, "Vicente del Bosque: The Unluckiest Manager in the World Who Led Spain to Immortality," 5 July 2019 And Stacey Abrams came within a whisker of beating Brian Kemp in the governor’s race. — The Economist, "How Johnny Isakson’s resignation could help Democrats flip the Senate," 29 Aug. 2019 With twitching whiskers and staccato-like movements, the nocturnal rodent searches for seeds and grain to store in its cheek pouches. — Ben Brazil, Daily Pilot, "The Dana Point Headlands is setting an example for how conservation can be done in urban areas," 27 July 2019 Janelle Shoihet, who led the briefing, that included whiskers and cat ears. — Abby Vesoulis, Time, "Canadian Police Accidentally Livestream Double Homicide Press Conference Using Facebook's Cat Filter," 21 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whisker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.