whiplash
/ˈwɪpˌlæʃ/ noun, verb
Forms whiplashes whiplashing whiplashed
- noun (countable) The lash of a whip.
- noun An injury to the upper spine connected to a violent jerk of the head in either a backward or forward or side to side direction, resembling the motion of a whip.
- noun (figurative) An abrupt and unexpected change, or the resulting feeling of shock. “tonal whiplash”
- verb To jerk back and forth; to buffet.
- verb To lash as if with a whip.
Synonyms
whiplash injury whiplash-associated disorder switchback zigzag course whip lash
Etymology
From whip + lash.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “whiplash”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details