Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

three-line whip

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.99 in modern English

Syllables: three---line whip
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A directive to MPs from party leaders to attend a parliamentary meeting and vote in a particular way, despite what the MP might believe or what his or her constituents might like.

British usage

noun

An imperative order.

Humorous

Example Sentences

"Since the metaphysical status of egg-casing is not one on which the church has yet pronounced, opposition appears based on "yuck" and nothing else. But yuck has become diktat, with Catholic MPs up to cabinet level being given a three-line whip by their bishops."
"Deputy Chief Whip Craig Whittaker told them it will be a “100% hard” three-line whip, saying: “This is not a motion on fracking. This is a confidence motion in the Government.”"
"I have to go shopping with the wife, I'm afraid. She's given me a three-line whip."

Etymology

From the triple underlining of very important votes on “the whip” — a document detailing upcoming business distributed weekly to British MPs by party managers.

Usage

British usage
Humorous

Inflected Forms

three-line whips (plural)

Phrases

single-line whip one-line whip two-line whip double-line whip

Frequently Paired Words

single-line whip one-line whip two-line whip double-line whip

Questions

What does three-line whip mean?: A directive to MPs from party leaders to attend a parliamentary meeting and vote in a particular way, despite what the MP might believe or what his or her constituents might like.
Where does three-line whip come from?: From the triple underlining of very important votes on “the whip” — a document detailing upcoming business distributed weekly to British MPs by party managers.

How to pronounce three-line whip

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