Obs. or dial. [? f. WHISK v.] The earlier name of the card-game now called whist (WHIST sb.3). Also attrib. Hence † Whisker (wisker) nonce-wd., a whist-player.
1621. J. Taylor (Water P.), Motto, D 4. He flings his money free … At One and thirty, or at Poore and rich, Ruffe, slam, Trump, nody, whisk.
1674. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, v. (1680), 61. The elder begins and younger follows in suit as at Whisk. [Elsewhere in the book Whist.]
1704. T. Baker, Act at Oxf., III. ii. 33. We’ll sit down to Ombre, Picquet, Wisk, and Swabbers; or One and Thirty Bone-ace.
1723. Lady Bristol, in Lett.-bks. J. Hevrey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1894), II. 278. The wiskers have promised me some diversion. Ibid., 287. I reign Queen of the whisk party. Ibid., 291. He will be missd … as a whisk player.
1728. [see SWABBER2].
1810. Sporting Mag., XXXVI. 75. Playing at whisk in an obscure village, in the Christmas holidays.
1829. Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (ed. 2), Whisk, a vulgar pronunciation of whist.
1854. Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Whisk, whist, a game at cards.
1880. [see SWAB sb.2].
