A single hair growing from the face, especially from the chin or cheeks; can also refer to a long, thin tactile hair on animals like cats.
From Middle Dutch 'wischen' (to sweep or whisk) or Old Norse 'viskr.' The word originally referred to the whisking motion, and then transferred to the facial hairs that could sweep or brush something. '-er' is a common suffix for things.
A cat's whiskers are so sensitive they can detect tiny changes in air currents and help them navigate in the dark—so when someone has 'whiskers to spare,' they're bragging about a hair-thin margin of victory, borrowing the precision of an animal's most delicate sense.
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