whisker

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Animals, Hair & beauty

whis·ker /ˈwɪskə $ -ər/ ●○○ noun [countable]  1. HBA[usually plural] one of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, mouse etc 〔猫、老鼠等嘴边的〕须 →4  See picture of 见图 BIG CAT2. [usually plural]DCB one of the hairs that grow on a man’s face 〔男人的〕连鬓胡子，颊须，髯3  win/lose by a whisker informalLITTLE/NOT MUCH to win or lose by a very small amount 以微弱之差获胜/落败 Schmidt finished second, losing by a whisker in the final event. 施密特在最后的项目中以微弱差距落败，屈居第二。4  come within a whisker of (doing) something to almost succeed or fail at doing something 险些(做)某事 Doctors say he came within a whisker of dying on the operating table. 医生们说他险些死在手术台上。

Examples from the Corpus

whisker• Using a paint brush paint blue eyes and whiskers on to the rabbit's face and pink ears and a nose.• Two large tusks and whiskers were clearly visible.• Where there had been whiskers there was pancake makeup.• For rabbits, use red pimento for ears, strips of cucumber peel for whiskers and small pieces of olive for eyes.• She laughs and says his whiskers tickle.• Smoke issued in whiskers from hornos and chimneys.• One of the difficulties in the early stages of this work was to find any reasonably reliable method of measuring whisker strengths.• He lowered his head into his hands, fingers rasping whiskers.Origin whisker (1600-1700) whiskers “mustache” ((16-20 centuries)), from whisker “something that whisks or sweeps” ((15-19 centuries)), from whisk; because the mustache looks like a small brush

whis·ker nounChineseSyllable  

Corpus hairs the long the of that one grow near stiff

whisker
whis‧ker /ˈwɪskə $ -ər/ noun [countable]1. [usually plural] one of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, mouse etc
2. [usually plural] one of the hairs that grow on a man’s face
3. win/lose by a whisker informal to win or lose by a very small amount:
    Schmidt finished second, losing by a whisker in the final event.
4. come within a whisker of (doing) something to almost succeed or fail at doing something:
    Doctors say he came within a whisker of dying on the operating table.

whis·kerBrE /ˈwɪskə(r)/ 🔊NAmE /ˈwɪskər/ 🔊 noun

[countable] any of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, mouse, etc. （猫、鼠等的）须whiskers [plural] (old-fashioned or humorous) the hair growing on a man's face, especially on his cheeks and chin 络腮胡子；连鬓胡子●be, come, etc. within a whisker of sth/doing sthto almost do sth 几乎要做；险些要做◆They came within a whisker of being killed. 他们险些丢了性命。🔊🔊●by a ˈwhiskerby a very small amount 差一点儿●be the cat's ˈwhiskers/pyˈjamas(informal) to be the best thing, person, idea, etc. 最棒的东西（或人、主意等）◆He thinks he's the cat's whiskers (= he has a high opinion of himself). 他自以为了不起。🔊🔊