Whisk means to move something quickly and suddenly from one place to another. A magician might whisk a tablecloth off a table without disturbing the dishes. A busy parent might whisk a child off to soccer practice right after school. The word suggests speed and smoothness, like when wind whisks leaves across a sidewalk.

In cooking, a whisk is a special tool made of curved metal wires attached to a handle. You use it to beat eggs, blend ingredients, or mix air into cream to make it fluffy. When you whisk eggs for an omelet, you stir them rapidly with quick, circular motions until the yolks and whites combine completely.

The cooking whisk works because those thin wires cut through liquids repeatedly, mixing them faster than a spoon could. When a recipe says to whisk until smooth, it means keep mixing until you can't see any lumps. Professional bakers often whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks, which takes several minutes of constant whisking. That's why many people use electric mixers for big jobs, though a hand whisk works perfectly fine for most everyday cooking.