whip hand
    n 1: position of advantage and control [syn: upper hand, whip
         hand]

Whip \Whip\, n. [OE. whippe. See Whip, v. t.]
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   1. An instrument or driving horses or other animals, or for
      correction, consisting usually of a lash attached to a
      handle, or of a handle and lash so combined as to form a
      flexible rod. "[A] whip's lash." --Chaucer.
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            In his right hand he holds a whip, with which he is
            supposed to drive the horses of the sun. --Addison.
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   2. A coachman; a driver of a carriage; as, a good whip.
      --Beaconsfield.
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   3. (Mach.)
      (a) One of the arms or frames of a windmill, on which the
          sails are spread.
      (b) The length of the arm reckoned from the shaft.
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   4. (Naut.)
      (a) A small tackle with a single rope, used to hoist light
          bodies.
      (b) The long pennant. See Pennant
      (a)
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   5. A huntsman who whips in the hounds; whipper-in.
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   6. (Eng. Politics)
      (a) A person (as a member of Parliament) appointed to
          enforce party discipline, and secure the attendance of
          the members of a Parliament party at any important
          session, especially when their votes are needed.
      (b) A call made upon members of a Parliament party to be
          in their places at a given time, as when a vote is to
          be taken.
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   7. A whipping motion; a thrashing about; as, the whip of a
      tense rope or wire which has suddenly parted; also, the
      quality of being whiplike or flexible; flexibility;
      suppleness, as of the shaft of a golf club.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   8. (Mech.) Any of various pieces that operate with a quick
      vibratory motion, as a spring in certain electrical
      devices for making a circuit, or a rocking certain piano
      actions.
      [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   Whip and spur, with the utmost haste.

   Whip crane, or Whip purchase, a simple form of crane
      having a small drum from which the load is suspended,
      turned by pulling on a rope wound around larger drum on
      the same axle.

   Whip gin. See Gin block, under 5th Gin.

   Whip grafting. See under Grafting.

   Whip hand, the hand with which the whip is used; hence,
      advantage; mastery; as, to have or get the whip hand of a
      person. --Dryden.

   Whip ray (Zool.), the European eagle ray. See under Ray.
      

   Whip roll (Weaving), a roll or bar, behind the reeds in a
      loom, on which the warp threads rest.

   Whip scorpion (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
      arachnids belonging to Thelyphonus and allied genera.
      They somewhat resemble true scorpions, but have a long,
      slender bristle, or lashlike organ, at the end of the
      body, instead of a sting.

   Whip snake (Zool.), any one of various species of slender
      snakes. Specifically:
      (a) A bright green South American tree snake (Philodryas
          viridissimus) having a long and slender body. It is
          not venomous. Called also emerald whip snake.
      (b) The coachwhip snake.
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