Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Lexicon: whimper – whist
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whimper (-ed, -ing, -s), v. [Echoic.] (webplay: child, whining).
- Whine; cry softly; make noise like an unhappy child.
- Mourn; ache; yearn; desire.
- Murmur; express emotion.
whine (whining), v. [OE hwinan.] (webplay: came).
Whimper; cry plaintively; complain in a high voice; express discomfort by a shrill cry; [fig.] pine; yearn.
whip (-'s), n. [Partly from whip, v. and partly from MLG wippe (wip) quick movement, moment of time, life for raising a well-bucket or hoisting cargo, lever.] (webplay: away, boy, child, flies, horses, instant, lash, small, suddenly, turning).
- Cord; [fig.] flash; flare; blinding light; sudden brightness; [fig.] stroke; quick movement.
- Rope; [fig.] ray; beam; stream of light.
- Instrument for flogging; wooden handle with long braided strands using for striking; [fig.] shame; chastisement; rebuke which breaks the heart.
- Phrase. “Whip lash”: smiting cord; slender braided rope; flexible end of a whip; braided leather strand used for beating; [fig.] quick movement; sudden flash; potential danger; [metonymy] snake; serpent.
whippowil, n. [unknown etymology.]
- Summer bird; fowl that sings only in the warm weather season, like an oriole.
- Singing bird; [fig.] poet.
- Bird capable of many tones, accents, and ranges; [fig.] poet; bard; creative writer.
whirl (-s), v. [ON hvirfla, to turn about, whirl; related to ON hvirfill circle, ring, esp. crown of the head, top, summit, pole of the heavens.]
Spiral; spin; rotate; move in swift circles; glide in the air.
whirr, n. [Da. < Sw. dial. hvirra.]
Hum; gurgle; babble; ripple; vibration; gentle rush; low continuous sound; [fig.] quickening after a thaw.
whisper, n. [see whisper, v.]
Murmur; soft conversation; [fig.] rustle; [metaphor] trace; reminder; shadow; suggestion of life; vestige of existence.
whisper (-ed, -ing), v. [OE.]
- Confide; deliver secret messages; convey intimate information.
- Converse softly; speak with reverence; talk in sibilant tones; communicate with a subdued voice.
- Murmur; [fig.] rustle.
whispering, verbal n. [see whisper, v.] (webplay: caution, together).
Breathy communication; subdued speech; [fig.] telling of secrets; exchange of loving words.
whist, conj. [A natural utterance enjoining silence, such as hist, hush, ist, st.]
“Shhhh”; hush; shush; be still; [onomatopoeia] quickly; with a swish; in an instant; [word play on “whistle”; persona of the poem making a high-pitched sound with the lips and teeth] phew.