Now dial. Forms: 6 wheritte, whyrit, -rret, 6–8 whirrit, 6–9 whirret, 7 wheret, -it, 7–9 wherrit, 7– wherret. [? Echoic.] A sharp blow; esp. a box on the ear or slap on the face.
1577. T. Kendall, Flowers Epigr., 17 b. Thou fearst a pat on pate, or els a whirrit on the eare.
1581. Rich, Farew. (1846), 208. And with this up with his fiste, and gave Phylotus a sure wheritte on the eare.
1589. [? Nashe], Martins Months Minde, Ep. Ded. A 2. I haue giuen them both now one Cuffe more: which albeit in truth bee but a whirret.
1621. Molle, Camerar. Liv. Libr., V. ii. 324. He … gaue one of them such a whirret with his sword-hilts, that [etc.].
1664. [J. Scudamore], Homer à la Mode, 25. She striking him two or three wherets O’th ears, tooke hold of’s bunch of carrets.
1727. ‘S. Brunt,’ Voy. to Cacklogallinia, 67. I returned the Compliment with a Wherret of my Fist, which knock’d him over.
1881. Isle of Wight Gloss., s.v., I’ll ghee thee a wherret in the chops.
fig. 1715. C’tess. D’Aunoy’s Wks., 116. Let her Conduct be never so void of Offence, she cannot shun the Whirrits of their Malice.
b. Comb.: † wherret-stopper, a contrivance on a boat to prevent injury from collision, etc.
1708. Constit. Watermen’s Co., liii. Owners … shall Mark and Number … Boats, with plain Figures on the Linings on each side, just abaft the Wherrit-Stoppers of every Boat.
