▪ I. wherret, n. Now dial.
(ˈhwɛrɪt)
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 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 Cackl. 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. |
▪ II. wherret, v. Now rare.
(ˈhwɛrɪt)
[Cf. prec.]
trans. To give a blow or slap to; † occas. transf. with the blow as object. Also fig.
| 1599 Minsheu, Cacheteádo, whirreted on the cheeke. 1678 Littleton Lat. Dict. ii. s.v. Pugnus, To box or wherret one. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. vi. 59 Their most considerable Knocks had been..jerked and whirrited within the Curtines of his Sweet-heart. 1711 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 30 Sept., The Whigs are in a rage about the peace, but we'll wherret them, I warrant. 1866 Whittier Marg. Smith's Jrnl. Prose Wks. 1889 I. 49 The Deacon..seeing him in this way, wherreted him smartly with his cane. |