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

With his huge late kick on display, Forever Young came up a nose and a whisker short of winning the world’s most famous race. —Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

However, the ended up giving her black whiskers like a jungle cat, leading Williams to roar for the camera. —Rachel McRady, People.com, 18 June 2025

Trump walked from the dais triumphantly punching the air; Lee was air-lifted to a hospital and spent days in intensive care following a two-hour surgery to repair a sliced jugular vein, with the wound a whisker from severing his carotid artery. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025

Stock futures rose Friday, with the S&P 500 just a whisker away from its all-time high, as hope for a U.S.-China trade deal grew and traders awaited fresh U.S. inflation data. —Brian Evans,alex Harring, CNBC, 26 June 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