■ noun
1》 a strip of leather or length of cord fastened to a handle, used for beating a person or urging on an animal.
2》 an official of a political party appointed to maintain parliamentary discipline among its members, especially so as to ensure attendance and voting in debates.
↘ Brit. a written notice from such an official requesting attendance for voting.
↘( the ~ ) Brit. membership of the group of MPs that form the official elected representation of a particular political party, together with the duties or rights associated with such membership.
3》 a dessert made from cream or eggs beaten into a light fluffy mass.
4》 short for ~per-in .
5》 a slender, unbranched shoot or plant.
6》 a rope-and-pulley hoisting apparatus.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ping , ~ped )
1》 beat with a ~.
↘(of a flexible object or rain or wind) strike or beat violently.
↘( ~ someone up ) deliberately excite or provoke someone.
↘( ~ something up ) stimulate a particular feeling in someone.
↘ informal defeat heavily in a sporting contest.
2》 move or take out fast or suddenly.
↘( ~ something up ) make or prepare something, especially food, very quickly.
3》 beat (cream, eggs, or other food) into a froth.
4》 Brit. informal steal.
5》 ( ~ in ) Hunting act as ~per-in.
6》 bind with spirally wound twine.
↘sew or gather with overcast stitches.
7》 [as adjective ~ped ] N. Amer. informal worn out; exhausted.
Phrases
the ~ hand a position of power or control.
Derivatives
~-like adjective
~per noun
~ping noun
Origin
ME: prob. from Mid. Low Ger. and MDu. wippen 'swing, leap, dance', from a Gmc base meaning 'move quickly'.