1. (Bot.) (a) Gorse; furze. See Furze. Through the whins, and by the cairn. Burns.
(b) Woad-waxed. Gray.
2. Same as Whinstone. [Prov. Eng.] Moor whin or Petty whin (Bot.), a low prickly shrub (Genista Anglica) common in Western Europe. — Whin bruiser, a machine for cutting and bruising whin, or furze, to feed cattle on. — Whin Sparrow (Zoöl.), the hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.] — Whin Thrush (Zoöl.), the redwing. [Prov. Eng.]
WHINBERRY
Whin"ber*ry, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The English bilberry; — so called because it grows on moors among the whins, or furze. Dr. Prior.
WHINCHAT
Whin"chat`, n. Etym: [So called because it frequents whins.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small warbler (Pratincola rubetra) common in Europe; — called also whinchacker, whincheck, whin-clocharet.
WHINE Whine, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whined; p. pr. & vb. n. Whining.] Etym: [OE. whinen, AS. hwinan to make a whistling, whizzing sound; akin to Icel. hvina, Sw. hvina, Dan. hvine, and probably to G. wiehern to neigh, OHG. wihn, hweijn; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. Whinny, v. i.]
Defn: To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to mean with a childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress, or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely. "Whining plovers." Spenser. The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a whining accent, craving liberty. Sir P. Sidney. Dost thou come here to whine Shak.
WHINE
Whine, v. t.