What is "whisk"

Whisk \Whisk\, n. [See Whist, n.] A game at cards; whist. [Obs.]
--Taylor (1630).

Whisk \Whisk\, n. [Probably for wisk, and of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. visk a wisp; akin to Dan. visk, Sw. viska, D. wisch, OHG. wisc, G. wisch. See Wisp.]

1. The act of whisking; a rapid, sweeping motion, as of something light; a sudden motion or quick puff.

   This first sad whisk Takes off thy dukedom; thou art but an earl.
   --J. Fletcher.

2. A small bunch of grass, straw, twigs, hair, or the like, used for a brush; hence, a brush or small besom, as of broom corn.

3. A small culinary instrument made of wire, or the like, for whisking or beating eggs, cream, etc.
   --Boyle.

4. A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.

   My wife in her new lace whisk.
   --Pepys.

5. An impertinent fellow. [Prov. Eng.]
   --Halliwell.

6. A plane used by coopers for evening chines.

Whisk \Whisk\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whisked; p. pr. & vb. n. Whisking.] [Cf. Dan. viske, Sw. viska, G. wischen, D. wisschen. See Whisk, n.]

1. To sweep, brush, or agitate, with a light, rapid motion; as, to whisk dust from a table; to whisk the white of eggs into a froth.

2. To move with a quick, sweeping motion.

   He that walks in gray, whisking his riding rod.
   --J. Fletcher.

   I beg she would not impale worms, nor whisk carp out of one element into another.
   --Walpole.

Whisk \Whisk\, v. i. To move nimbly at with velocity; to make a sudden agile movement.

late 14c., "quick stroke, sweeping movement," probably from Old Norse visk "wisp of hay, something to sweep with," from Proto-Germanic *wisk- "move quickly" (cognates: Danish visk "broom," Middle Dutch wisch, Dutch wis, Old High German wisc, German wisch "wisp, brush"), from PIE root *weis- "to turn, twist" (cognates: Sanskrit veskah "noose," Czech vechet "a wisp of straw," Old English wiscian "to plait," weoxian "to clean" with a whisk or brush). Unetymological spelling with wh- is from 1570s. Meaning "implement for beating eggs, etc." first recorded 1660s.

late 15c., "move with a rapid sweeping motion" (intransitive), from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish viske "to wipe, rub, sponge," Norwegian, Swedish viska "wipe," also "wag the tail"), from the source of whisk (n.). Transitive sense is from 1510s; meaning "to brush or sweep (something) lightly over a surface" is from 1620s. Related: Whisked; whisking.

Etymology 1 n. 1 A quick, light sweeping motion. 2 A kitchen utensil, made from stiff wire loops fixed to a handle, used for whipping (or a mechanical device with the same function). 3 A bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush. 4 A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle. 5 A plane used by coopers for evening chines. 6 A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress. 7 (context archaic English) An impertinent fellow. vb. 1 (context transitive English) To move something with quick light sweeping motions. 2 (context transitive English) In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream. 3 (context transitive English) To move something rapidly and with no warning. 4 (context intransitive English) To move lightly and nimble. Etymology 2

n. (context obsolete English) The card game whist.

1. n. a mixer incorporating a coil of wires; used for whipping eggs or cream

2. a small short-handled broom used to brush clothes [syn: whisk broom]

1. v. move somewhere quickly; "The President was whisked away in his limo"

2. move quickly and nimbly; "He whisked into the house"

3. brush or wipe off lightly [syn: whisk off]

4. whip with or as if with a wire whisk; "whisk the eggs" [syn: whip]

A whisk is a kitchen utensil

Whisk may also refer to:

• Fly-whisk, used as a flyswatter or as regalia
• Whisk broom, a kind of broom, a cleaning instrument
• Whisk (ballroom dance), a ballroom dance step used in a waltz

The whisk is a ballroom dance step used in the Waltz or Viennese Waltz. It is one of several ways to get into promenade position and is used to turn dancers around corners or change their direction on the dance floor. It is often performed after a complete reverse turn.

A whisk is a cooking utensil to blend ingredients smooth, or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as whisking or whipping. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops joined at the end. The wires are usually metal, but some are plastic for use with nonstick cookware. Whisks are also made from bamboo.

Whisks are commonly used to whip egg whites into a firm foam to make meringue, or to whip cream into whipped cream.

Whisks have differently-shaped loops depending on their intended functions:

• The most common shape is that of a wide teardrop, termed a balloon whisk. Balloon whisks are best suited to mixing in bowls, as their curved edges conform to a bowl's concave sides.
• With longer, narrower wire loops, the French whisk has a more cylindrical profile, suiting it to deep, straight-sided pans.
• A flat whisk, sometimes referred to as a roux whisk, has the loops arranged in a flat successive pattern. It is useful for working in shallow vessels like skillets (in which a roux is normally prepared).
• A gravy whisk, sometimes referred to as a spiral whisk, commonly has one main loop with another wire coiled around it. The angle of the whisk head is ideal for mixing gravy, jello, batters and sauces.
• Similarly, a twirl whisk or a coil whisk has one single wire that is spiralled into a balloon shape. Designed to remain stationary in a bowl while the user pumps the handle up and down, it circulates liquids readily throughout a bowl. It is not suitable for whisking in the traditional sense, since dragging the whisk through a liquid or batter simply stretches out the coils, but is ideal for beating eggs.
• Ball whisks have no loops whatsoever. Instead, a group of individual wires comes out of the handle, each tipped with a metal ball. The heavy balls are capable of reaching into the corners of a straight-sided pan. Since there are no crossing wires, the ball whisk is easier to clean than traditional looped varieties. Manufacturers of ball whisks also purport that their shape allows for better aeration.
• A cage whisk, sometimes referred to as a ball whisk, is a balloon whisk with a small spherical cage trapped inside of it, which in turn holds a metal ball.