whisker
Computer-generated voice, not a recording. It may differ from the pronunciation guide.
In short
A whisker is a long, projecting hair near an animal's mouth, or a hair on a person's face. In by a whisker, the word means a very small margin.
What does whisker mean?
One whisker and many whiskers
A whisker can be one of the long hairs projecting near an animal’s mouth. Whiskers can also refer to facial hair on a person.
A walrus provides a familiar animal example. The expression walrus mustache describes a human style resembling the animal’s prominent whiskers.
What does by a whisker mean?
It means by a very small amount or margin. It can describe a narrow victory, a narrow defeat or a near miss.
The phrase does not tell you the outcome on its own. Won by a whisker and lost by a whisker describe opposite results with similarly small margins.
Is whiskers the same as mustache?
Not in every context. Whiskers can describe facial hair more broadly. Merriam-Webster labels its specific mustache sense archaic, so the words should not be treated as exact modern substitutes.
Where does it come from?
Whisker is historically connected with whisk, a word associated with sweeping motion. Etymonline records an older use for something that whisks or sweeps, followed by hair-related meanings and the figurative use for a tiny difference.
How to use it in a sentence
“A single whisker caught the light beside the cat's nose.”
“He brushed a few crumbs from his whiskers.”
“Our team won by a whisker.”
“She missed the qualifying time by a whisker.”
Sources and updates
- Whisker Definition & Meaning, Merriam-Webster. Checked November 5, 2026.
- Whisker - Etymology, Origin & Meaning, Online Etymology Dictionary. Checked November 5, 2026.
Definitions and examples are written in our own words from the sources above. Published .