• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

2 : WHICHEVER

3 — used to introduce a relative clause and to serve as a substitute therein for the noun modified by the clause

1whichever adjective : no matter which <~ way you go>

2whichever pronoun : whatever one or ones

which·so·ev·er pronoun or adjective : WHICHEVER

whick·er verb : NEIGH, WHINNY

— whicker noun

1whiff noun 1 : a quick puff or slight gust (as of air)

2 : an inhalation of odor, gas, or smoke

3 : a slight trace

4 : STRIKEOUT

2whiff verb 1 : to expel, puff out, or blow away in or as if in whiffs

2 : to inhale an odor

3 : STRIKE OUT 3

Synonyms

nose, scent, smell, sniff—more at SMELL

Whig noun [ORIGIN: short for Whiggamore, member of a Scottish group that marched to Edinburgh in 1648 to oppose the court party]

1 : a member or supporter of a British political group of the late 17th through early 19th centuries seeking to limit royal authority and increase parliamentary power

2 : an American favoring independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution

3 : a member or supporter of an American political party formed about 1834 to oppose the Democrats

1while noun 1 : a period of time

2 : the time and effort used : TROUBLE

Synonyms

[1] bit, space, spell, stretch; also lapse; season, span; day, epoch, era; flash, instant, jiffy, minute, moment, second, shake, spurt, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink; aeon, age, eon, eternity; interim, interlude, intermission, interval

[2] effort, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, trouble, work—more at EFFORT

2while conjunction 1 : during the time that

2 : AS LONG AS <~ there's life there's hope>

3 : in spite of the fact that : ALTHOUGH <~ he's respected, he's not liked>

Synonyms

albeit, although, howbeit, though, when—more at ALTHOUGH

3while verb whiled; whil·ing : to cause to pass esp. pleasantly <~ away an hour>

1whilom adverb [ORIGIN: ME, lit., at times, fr. OE hwīlum, dat. pl. of hwīl time, while]

archaic

: FORMERLY

2whilom adjective : at a time in the past : FORMER

Synonyms

erstwhile, former, late, old, onetime, past, sometime—more at FORMER

whilst conjunction, chiefly British

: WHILE

whim noun : a sudden wish, desire, or change of mind

Synonyms

caprice, fancy, freak, notion, vagary; also capriciousness, whimsicality; conceit; concept, conception, image, impression, picture, thought; brainstorm, inspiration

whim·per verb : to make a low whining plaintive or broken sound

— whimper noun

whim·si·cal adjective 1 : full of whims : CAPRICIOUS

2 : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice

— whim·si·cal·i·ty noun

— whim·si·cal·ly adverb

Synonyms

capricious, impulsive; also mercurial, moody, temperamental, volatile; eccentric, flaky, quirky; arbitrary, erratic, fickle, inconstant, irregular, willful; impractical, quixotic, romantic

whim·sy also whim·sey noun, plural whim·sies also whimseys 1 : a sudden impulsive apparently unmotivated change of mind : WHIM

2 : a fanciful or fantastic device, object, or creation esp. in writing or art

whine verb whined; whin·ing [ORIGIN: ME, fr. OE hwīnan to whiz]

1 : to utter a usu. high-pitched plaintive or distressed cry; also : to make a sound similar to such a cry

2 : to complain with or as if with a whine

— whine noun

— whiny also whin·ey adjective

Synonyms

beef, bellyache, carp, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grouse, growl, grumble, kick, moan, murmur, mutter, repine, squawk, wail—more at COMPLAIN

whin·er noun : one that whines

Synonyms

bear, complainer, crab, crank, grouch, grumbler—more at GROUCH

1whinny verb whin·nied; whin·ny·ing : to neigh usu. in a low or gentle manner

2whinny noun, plural whinnies : NEIGH

1whip verb whipped; whip·ping 1 : to move, snatch, or jerk quickly or forcefully <~ out a gun>

2 : to strike with a slender lithe implement (as a lash) esp. as a