whipper

Whipper is a term with several distinct meanings in English. As a noun, it can refer to a person who uses a whip, such as an animal trainer or horseman. In organized fox hunting, a whipper-in is an attendant whose duty is to help manage the hounds; the phrase is sometimes shortened to “whipper” in informal usage.

In culinary contexts, a whipper (often called a cream whipper or whipping siphon) is a pressurized canister used to dispense whipped cream, foams, and other aerated preparations. It is charged with a nitrous oxide cartridge and discharged to push liquid through a nozzle, creating light textures. The device is common in professional kitchens and in home kitchens, and should be handled with care due to its pressurized contents and cleaning requirements.

Other notes: the term has historical usage in literature and may appear as a surname. The etymology is straightforward, derived from the verb “to whip” plus the agent suffix “-er.” Whipper is thus a polysemous term whose meaning is usually inferred from context, whether referring to a person who wields a whip or to a kitchen device used to create whipped products.