whippet

[ whip-it, wip- ]

noun

1. one of a breed of small, swift dogs resembling a greyhound, used for hunting rabbits and for racing.
2. Also called whippet tank. a fast, light tank used by the British in World War I.

whippet

/ ˈwɪpɪt /

noun

1. a small slender breed of dog similar to a greyhound in appearance

Word History and Origins

Origin of whippet¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; perhaps alteration of phrase whip it move briskly

Word History and Origins

Origin of whippet¹

C16: of uncertain origin; perhaps based on the phrase whip it! move quickly!

Example Sentences

And she cared for him, along with a whippet named Jason, until she died at age 74 in 1995.

From The Daily Beast

Now the score is settled, the Big Dog can finally accept that the whippet is the winner.

From The Daily Beast

A whippet tank crunched over the wreck and covered the group with its multiple pom-poms.

From Project Gutenberg

I was dropping asleep when a rabbit rushed under the blanket, all of a shiver, and a whippet dog after it.

From Project Gutenberg

She was a sea whippet, and prior to the war her bowsprit had nosed into all the famed harbours of the seven seas.

From Project Gutenberg

He scribbled a note on the back of a sales slip and left it at Miss Whippet's post by the stocking counter.

From Project Gutenberg

Little Miss Whippet, although she was fast at typewriting, was hard put to it to keep up with his correspondence.

From Project Gutenberg