1
N‑COUNT
If you describe a lie as a
whopper
, you mean that it is very far from the truth. [INFORMAL
] □
2
N‑COUNT
If you refer to something as a
whopper
, you mean that it is an unusually large example of the thing mentioned. [INFORMAL
] □
whop|ping
/
h
wɒ
p
I
ŋ/ ADJ
[ADJ
n] If you describe an amount as
whopping
, you are emphasizing that it is large. [INFORMAL
, EMPHASIS
] □
whore /hɔː r / (whores ) N‑COUNT A whore is the same as a prostitute .
who're
/huː
ə
r
, huːə
r
/
Who're
is a spoken form of 'who are'. □
whore|house /hɔː r haʊs/ (whorehouses ) N‑COUNT A whorehouse is the same as a brothel .
whorl
/
h
wɜː
r
l, [AM
]
h
wɔː
r
l/ (whorls
) N‑COUNT
A
whorl
is a spiral shape, for example the pattern on the tips of your fingers. [LITERARY
] □
who's /huː z, huːz/ Who's is the usual spoken form of 'who is' or 'who has', especially when 'has' is an auxiliary verb. USAGE who's
Who is
and who has
are sometimes contracted and pronounced /hu:z/. When you write down what someone says, you can write ‘who is’ or ‘who has’ as who’s
. Don’t write them as ‘whose’. □
whose ◆◆◆ /huːz/
1
PRON
You use
whose
at the beginning of a relative clause where you mention something that belongs to or is associated with the person or thing mentioned in the previous clause. □
2
PRON
; DET
You use
whose
in questions to ask about the person or thing that something belongs to or is associated with. □
3
DET
You use
whose
after certain words, especially verbs and adjectives, to introduce a clause where you talk about the person or thing that something belongs to or is associated with. □
who|so|ever
/huː
soʊe
və
r
/ CONJ
Whosoever
means the same as
whoever
. [LITERARY
, OLD-FASHIONED
] □
who've /huː v/ Who've is the usual spoken form of 'who have,' especially when 'have' is an auxiliary verb.
why ◆◆◆ / h wa I /
1
ADV
You use
why
in questions when you ask about the reasons for something. □