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Sift vs Whisk - What's the difference?

sift | whisk |

As verbs the difference between sift and whisk

is that sift is to sieve or strain (something) while whisk is to move something with quick light sweeping motions.

As a noun whisk is

a quick, light sweeping motion or whisk can be (obsolete) the card game whist.

sift

English

Verb

  • To sieve or strain (something).
  • To separate or scatter (things) as if by sieving.
  • To examine (something) carefully.
  • * 1748 . David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 28.
    • But if we still carry on our sifting humour, and ask, What is the foundation of all conclusions from experience ? this implies a new question.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1764 , author= , title= , pageurl=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/696/696-h/696-h.htm , page= , publisher=}}
    It immediately occurred to him to sift her on the subject of Isabella and Theodore.

    Derived terms

    * sifter

    Anagrams

    * *

    whisk

    English

    Etymology 1

    (etyl), from (etyl) visk According to] eng. (vist laant fra nord. ) whisk, the English (certainly borrowed from Old Norse) whisk[http://machaut.uchicago.edu/?action=search&word=whisk&resource=Webster's&quicksearch=on Etymology in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, from (etyl) . Cognate with Danish (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m), (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A quick, light sweeping motion.
    • With a quick whisk , she swept the cat from the pantry with her broom.
  • A kitchen utensil, made from stiff wire loops fixed to a handle, used for whipping (or a mechanical device with the same function).
    • He used a whisk to whip up a light and airy souffle.
  • A bunch of twigs or hair etc, used as a brush.
    • Peter dipped the whisk in lather and applied it to his face, so he could start shaving.
  • A small handheld broom with a small (or no) handle.
    • '' I used a whisk to sweep the counter, then a push-broom for the floor.
  • A plane used by coopers for evening chines.
  • A kind of cape, forming part of a woman's dress.
  • * Samuel Pepys
    • My wife in her new lace whisk .
  • (archaic) An impertinent fellow.
    • (Halliwell)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To move something with quick light sweeping motions.
  • * J. Fletcher
    • He that walks in gray, whisking his riding rod.
  • In cooking, to whip e.g. eggs or cream.
  • To move something rapidly and with no warning.
  • * Walpole
    • I beg she would not impale worms, nor whisk carp out of one element into another.
  • To move lightly and nimbly.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.}}

    References

    Etymology 2

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) The card game whist.