whisker
whisker
noun
/ˈwɪskə(r)/
1 countable any of the long, stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, mouse, etc.
TOPICS Animals C2
2 ​whiskers plural (old-fashioned or humorous) the hair growing on a man’s face, especially on the sides of his face
Idioms
be the cat’s whiskers/pyjamas
be, come, etc. within a whisker of something/doing something
by a whisker
Word Origin
late Middle English (originally denoting a bundle of feathers, twigs, etc., used for whisking): from the verb whisk + -er.