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Whip and spur

Whip \Whip\, n. [OE. whippe. See Whip, v. t.]

  1. An instrument or driving horses or other animals, or for correction, consisting usually of a lash attached to a handle, or of a handle and lash so combined as to form a flexible rod. ``[A] whip's lash.''
    --Chaucer.

    In his right hand he holds a whip, with which he is supposed to drive the horses of the sun.
    --Addison.

  2. A coachman; a driver of a carriage; as, a good whip.
    --Beaconsfield.

  3. (Mach.)

    1. One of the arms or frames of a windmill, on which the sails are spread.

    2. The length of the arm reckoned from the shaft.

  4. (Naut.)

    1. A small tackle with a single rope, used to hoist light bodies.

    2. The long pennant. See Pennant (a)

  5. A huntsman who whips in the hounds; whipper-in.

  6. (Eng. Politics)

    1. A person (as a member of Parliament) appointed to enforce party discipline, and secure the attendance of the members of a Parliament party at any important session, especially when their votes are needed.

    2. A call made upon members of a Parliament party to be in their places at a given time, as when a vote is to be taken.

  7. A whipping motion; a thrashing about; as, the whip of a tense rope or wire which has suddenly parted; also, the quality of being whiplike or flexible; flexibility; suppleness, as of the shaft of a golf club.

  8. (Mech.) Any of various pieces that operate with a quick vibratory motion, as a spring in certain electrical devices for making a circuit, or a rocking certain piano actions. Whip and spur, with the utmost haste. Whip crane, or Whip purchase, a simple form of crane having a small drum from which the load is suspended, turned by pulling on a rope wound around larger drum on the same axle. Whip gin. See Gin block, under 5th Gin. Whip grafting. See under Grafting. Whip hand, the hand with which the whip is used; hence, advantage; mastery; as, to have or get the whip hand of a person. --Dryden. Whip ray (Zo["o]l.), the European eagle ray. See under Ray. Whip roll (Weaving), a roll or bar, behind the reeds in a loom, on which the warp threads rest. Whip scorpion (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of arachnids belonging to Thelyphonus and allied genera. They somewhat resemble true scorpions, but have a long, slender bristle, or lashlike organ, at the end of the body, instead of a sting. Whip snake (Zo["o]l.), any one of various species of slender snakes. Specifically:

    1. A bright green South American tree snake ( Philodryas viridissimus) having a long and slender body. It is not venomous. Called also emerald whip snake.

    2. The coachwhip snake.

Wiktionary
whip and spur

adv. With the utmost haste.

Usage examples of "whip and spur".

We were more than a week making the trip, because our Kanaka horses would not go by a house or a hut without stopping--whip and spur could not alter their minds about it, and so we finally found that it economized time to let them have their way.

Looking neither to the right nor the left, unconscious in what direction he was going, he urged forward, with whip and spur, the little mustang, to the utmost speed of the animal, and yet scarcely in the least diminished the distance between him and the swift-footed buffaloes.

Just in front of the travellers a horseman was urging his steed up the slope, driving it on with whip and spur as one who rides for a set purpose.

Every rib along his side could be marked, and on his flanks were still the crimson signs of whip and spur.

They had marched upon a camp of our excursionists by the Jordan, and the pilgrims only saved their lives by stealing away and flying to Jerusalem under whip and spur in the darkness of the night.

Thus did Huon and all his company use whip and spur and tried to speed out of that ill-omened wood.

Texas driving his mount with whip and spur, cutting the flanks of his horse with cruel blows in a frantic endeavor to lift him home a winner.