whim

• IPA^(key): /ʍɪm/
• IPA^(key): /wɪm/
• Rhymes: -ɪm

Clipping of whim-wham.

whim (countable and uncountable, plural whims)

1. A fanciful impulse, or whimsical idea
   • Churchill

     Let every man enjoy his whim.

2. (mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes

• (fancy): lark, especially in phrase on a whim, see also Thesaurus:whim

whim (third-person singular simple present whims, present participle whimming, simple past and past participle whimmed)

1. (rare, intransitive) To be seized with a whim; to be capricious.

• Picture of a horse-powered whim used to wind the cables on to work the mine between the depth of 50 feet to 500 feet - photo taken at Gympie, Queensland, Australia

Compare whimbrel.

whim (plural whims)

1. A bird, the Eurasian wigeon.