[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/whisker.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / whisker

[← W](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/W/)

# whisker

«whisker» in Mova's school dictionary: **One of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a whisker, whiskers)

### meaning for a pupil

1) One of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, a mouse, a seal and many other animals, used to feel things. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#m1)

2) (whiskers) Hair growing on a man's face. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#m2)

3) (informal) A very small amount or distance: "by a whisker" means only just. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons, whiskers help animals such as cats feel their way in the dark and judge if they can fit through a gap. In sport and everyday talk, "won by a whisker" means won by a tiny amount. Phrases: "by a whisker", "within a whisker of", "the cat's whiskers" (old-fashioned: the very best).

### examples

- The cat's whiskers twitched as it smelled the fish. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x1)
- Whiskers help a cat feel its way in the dark. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x2)
- We won the race by a whisker. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x3)
- She came within a whisker of beating the record. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x4)
- Grandpa had grey whiskers on his chin. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x5)
- The mouse cleaned its whiskers with its paws. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x6)
- Seals use their whiskers to find fish in murky water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x7)
- In a moment not a tail or a whisker was to be seen. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/#x8)

### note

Countable: a whisker, whiskers. "Whiskered" means having whiskers. Do not confuse with "whisky" (an alcoholic drink) or "whisk" (a kitchen tool). Never cut a cat's whiskers; it needs them.

### In the corpora

- [Seal whiskers are so sensitive that a blindfolded seal followed a fish's water trail that was more than 30 seconds old.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/27-dolphins-porpoises-and-seals/17/)
- [Walruses find clams on the dark seabed with hundreds of sensitive whiskers and suck them out of their shells.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/169-the-arctic-ocean-walruses-bowheads-the-400-year-shark-and-the-unicorns-tooth/5/)
- [A sturgeon has five rows of bony plates along its body and four whiskers under its snout to feel for food.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/374-ukraine-s-waters-danube-delta-pelicans-black-sea-dolphins-sturgeon-and-gobies/17/)
- [Off with his whiskers!» (collar = grab), and by the time the court settles, the cook has gone.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/22-alice-who-stole-the-tarts-2/31/)
- [Something small and bright twinkles inside it, and a face grows round it: brown and small, with whiskers.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/64-willows-ch10-part4-into-the-horse-pond/14/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «whisker» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whisker/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.