whisker
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A long, stiff hair growing from the face of an animal: A sensory hair, typically one of those growing around the mouth or nose of mammals like cats, mice, or seals.
- A very small distance or margin: An extremely narrow amount or degree, often used to describe a close victory or defeat.
Verb:
- To furnish with whiskers: To provide or adorn with whiskers (this usage is rare and often literary).
Usage Examples
Noun (Animal Hair):
- The cat's whisker twitched as it focused on the moving toy.
- Scientists study how seals use their whiskers to detect vibrations in the water.
Noun (Small Distance):
- The race was won by a whisker.
- He missed the target by a whisker.
Verb:
- The old portrait whiskered the gentleman with an impressive mustache. (Literary/Rare)
Advanced Usage
- "To win/lose by a whisker": To win or lose by an extremely small margin.
- The bill passed the vote by a whisker.
- "Within a whisker of (something)": Very close to achieving or experiencing something.
- She came within a whisker of breaking the world record.
Variants and Related Words
- Whiskered (adjective): Having whiskers.
- The whiskered face of the walrus.
- Whiskery (adjective): Resembling or full of whiskers.
- His whiskery chin.
Synonyms
- Noun (Hair): Vibrissa, sensory hair, bristle.
- Noun (Margin): Hair's breadth, fraction, millimeter, sliver.
Related Phrases
- "A cat's whisker": Historically, a thin wire in early crystal radio receivers; also used to mean a very small amount.
- The vintage radio was adjusted using a cat's whisker.
Idioms
- "By a whisker": By a very small margin.
- He qualified for the finals by a whisker.
Noun
- a long stiff hair growing from the snout or brow of most mammals as e.g. a cat
- a very small distance or space
- they escaped by a hair's-breadth
- they lost the election by a whisker
Verb
- furnish with whiskers
- a whiskered jersey