whisker
noun
whis·ker
ˈ(h)wi-skər 
1
a
: a hair of the beard
b
whiskers plural
(1)
archaic
: mustache
(2)
: the part of the beard growing on the sides of the face or on the chin
c
: hairbreadth
lost the race by a whisker
2
: one of the long projecting hairs or bristles growing near the mouth of an animal (such as a cat or bird)
3
: an outrigger extending on each side of the bowsprit to spread the jib and flying jib guys
—usually used in plural
4
a
: a shred or filament resembling a whisker
b
: a thin hairlike crystal (as of sapphire or copper) of exceptional mechanical strength used especially to reinforce composite structural material
Examples of whisker in a Sentence
He won the race by a whisker.
Recent Examples on the Web
How pet tracker technology works The technology works by identifying unique features of each animal — from eye shape and whisker length to unusual markings and tail curvature.
—
Analisa Novak, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025
The bowls are quite deep and narrow and aren’t super easy for cats to reach, which could cause whisker fatigue.
—Molly Higgins, Wired News, 14 Apr. 2025
Engineered by Colossal Biosciences, the mice have curly whiskers and hair that grows three times longer than that of typical lab mice.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Still, some of those whiskers were choice, and three films in particular, all of which were acquired for U.S. distribution during the event, struck me as worth putting on everyone’s radar now.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whisker
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Analisa Novak, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025
The bowls are quite deep and narrow and aren’t super easy for cats to reach, which could cause whisker fatigue.
—Molly Higgins, Wired News, 14 Apr. 2025
Engineered by Colossal Biosciences, the mice have curly whiskers and hair that grows three times longer than that of typical lab mice.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
Still, some of those whiskers were choice, and three films in particular, all of which were acquired for U.S. distribution during the event, struck me as worth putting on everyone’s radar now.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whisker
Cite this Entry
“Whisker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whisker. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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