WHIPLASH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whiplash mean? 

• WHIPLASH (noun)
  The noun WHIPLASH has 2 senses:

1. an injury to the neck (the cervical vertebrae) resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration (as in an automobile accident)

2. a quick blow delivered with a whip or whiplike object

  Familiarity information: WHIPLASH used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIPLASH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An injury to the neck (the cervical vertebrae) resulting from rapid acceleration or deceleration (as in an automobile accident)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

whiplash; whiplash injury

Hypernyms ("whiplash" is a kind of...):

harm; hurt; injury; trauma (any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A quick blow delivered with a whip or whiplike object

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

lash; whip; whiplash

Context example:

the whip raised a red welt

Hypernyms ("whiplash" is a kind of...):

blow (a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon)

 Context examples 

Whiplash, a soft tissue injury to the neck, is also called neck sprain or strain.

(Neck Injuries and Disorders, NIH)