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whim

  [hwim, wim]
Use whim in a Sentence
–noun
1. an odd or capricious notion or desire; a sudden or freakish fancy: a sudden whim to take a midnight walk.
2. capricious humor: to be swayed by whim.
Origin:
1635–45; short for whim-wham

Synonyms:
1. whimsy, vagary, caprice.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To whim
whim   (hwĭm, wĭm)   
n.  
  1. A sudden or capricious idea; a fancy.
  2. Arbitrary thought or impulse: governed by whim.
  3. A vertical horse-powered drum used as a hoist in a mine.

[Short for whim-wham, fanciful object.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Whim

Whim\, n. [Cf. Whimbrel.] (Zo["o]l.) The European widgeon. [Prov. Eng.]

Whim

Whim\, n. [Cf. Icel. hwima to wander with the eyes, vim giddiness, Norw. kvima to whisk or flutter about, to trifle, Dan. vimse to skip, whisk, jump from one thing to another, dial. Sw. hvimsa to be unsteady, dizzy, W. chwimio to move briskly.]

1. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a humor; a caprice.

Let every man enjoy his whim. --Churchill.

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; -- called also whim gin, and whimsey.

Whim gin (Mining), a whim. See Whim, 2.

Whim shaft (Mining), a shaft through which ore, water, etc., is raised from a mine by means of a whim.

Syn: Freak; caprice; whimsey; fancy.

Usage: Whim, Freak, Caprice. Freak denotes an impulsive, inconsiderate change of mind, as by a child or a lunatic. Whim is a mental eccentricity due to peculiar processes or habits of thought. Caprice is closely allied in meaning to freak, but implies more definitely a quality of willfulness or wantonness.

Whim

Whim\, v. i. To be subject to, or indulge in, whims; to be whimsical, giddy, or freakish. [R.] --Congreve.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : whim
Spanish: capricho,
German: die Grille,
Japanese: 気まぐれ
More Translations »

whim 
1641, "pun or play on words," shortened from whimwham "fanciful object" (q.v.). Meaning "sudden notion, fancy, or idea" first recorded 1697, probably a shortened form of whimsy.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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