whip

1. (in a legislative body)

a. a member of a party chosen to organize and discipline the members of his faction, esp in voting and to assist in the arrangement of the business

b. a call issued to members of a party, insisting with varying degrees of urgency upon their presence or loyal voting behaviour

c. (in the British Parliament) a schedule of business sent to members of a party each week. Each item on it is underlined to indicate its importance: one line means that no division is expected, two lines means that the item is fairly important, and three lines means that the item is very important and every member must attend and vote according to the party line

2. an apparatus for hoisting, consisting of a rope, pulley, and snatch block

3. a windmill vane

4. transient elastic movement of a structure or part when subjected to sudden release of load or dynamic excitation

5. a percussion instrument consisting of two strips of wood, joined forming the shape of a V, and clapped loudly together

6. a ride in a funfair involving bumper cars that move with sudden jerks

7. a wrestling throw in which a wrestler seizes his opponent's arm and spins him to the floor

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

What does it mean when you dream about a whip?

A whip is a symbol of authority and punishment. How it is experienced in the dream determines whether the dreamer is imposing the punishment or receiving it. In either scenario, whips have acquired connotations of abuse, so the punishment represented is often abusive and an occasion for guilt and shame.

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References in classic literature

"Take him," said I, standing up again and pointing with the whip; "take him, and carry him out and cast him into the sea."

I dropped the whip and snatched at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse.

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The huntsman stood halfway up the knoll holding up his whip and the gentlefolk rode up to him at a footpace; the hounds that were far off on the horizon turned away from the hare, and the whips, but not the gentlefolk, also moved away.

He rode in angry agitation toward him, firmly grasping his whip and fully prepared to take the most resolute and desperate steps to punish his enemy.

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She'll gallop!" and he picked up the whip, preparing himself with relish to flog the little mare.

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Turn his head as he would, ever Ben Bolt received the bite of the whip on his fearfully bruised nose; for Mulcachy was as expert as a stage-driver in his manipulation of the whip, and unerringly the lash snapped and cracked and stung Ben Bolt's nose wherever Ben Bolt at the moment might have it.

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"Now, Topsy," said Miss Ophelia, "if you'll confess all about it, I won't whip you this time." Thus adjured, Topsy confessed to the ribbon and gloves, with woful protestations of penitence.

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That was why Sheldon did not have to do it, for when he had counted one, Astoa reached out his hand and took the whip. And right well Astoa laid on the whip, angered at his fellows for not supporting him and venting his anger with every stroke.

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Again and again he urged them for the door, but each time they turned away, and to escape the whip beat and tore at the wall of the palisade in a vain effort to batter it from their pathway.

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When he was gone my driver began to flop the reins about and whip the harness, by which I understood that I was to go on, which of course I did, glad that the stone was gone, but still in a good deal of pain.

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"The lazy brutes, I'll show them," he cried, preparing to lash out at them with the whip.

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Be you President or vagabond, to cabby you are only a Fare, he takes you up, cracks his whip, joggles your vertebrae and sets you down.

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