whip

A person or a thing that is whipped is beaten with a long, thin object such as a rope or a cord. The reason for whipping an animal or a person is punishment or discipline.

• The man whipped his kids when they misbehaved.
• He gave them a whipping. ("Whipping" is a noun.)
• It’s not legal in the United States to whip a person with a real whip as a form of punishment.

The word "whip" is also used to describe the outcome of a competition:

• We whipped the other team. (We beat them.)
• The other team got whipped. (They got beaten.)
• The Vikings whipped the Panthers, 45 to 7. (The Vikings won easily.)

There are many other ways to use this word:

• I feel whipped after working all day. (whipped = tired)
• The coach whipped the players into shape. (whip into shape = provide training)
• When the supervisor isn’t around to crack the whip, the employees of the company like to goof around. (crack the whip = provide discipline at work or school)
• Martha whipped up something for dinner in just 15 minutes. (whip up = make something quickly)
• How did she whip that up so fast?

The word "whip" is also a noun that refers to the long woven piece of leather used for training animals.

• A lion tamer uses a whip when he works with lions.
• Horses are made to travel faster with a whip.
• Most people consider the use of a whip to be barbaric.
• Another word for "whip" is "lash." When someone receives lashes as a form of punishment, it means that person is whipped with a whip.

He’s using a whip.

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April 12, 2016