eggbeater

English

Alternative forms

• egg beater

Etymology

egg +‎ beater

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

eggbeater (plural eggbeaters)

1. A kitchen utensil that uses rotating blades to beat eggs.
2. (uncommon, possibly dated) A (wire) whisk.
   • 1919, Herald and Presbyter, page 30:

     With a wire eggbeater, lower the oysters into this three or four at a time.

   • 1920, William Hallock Park, Public Health and Hygiene: In Contributions by Eminent Authorities, page 57:

     Bleeding.—Bleeding for therapuetic sera are made with trocar and rubber tube into 2-liter Erlenmeyer flasks having a large flat wire eggbeater to support the clot. After the flask is about half-full, it is tilted on the side where the wire is inserted.

   • 1944, Popular Mechanics, page 118:

     Taking advantage of the fact that a wire eggbeater of the type shown [pictured: a flat whisk] is so easily fastened between a camera tilt-head and the tripod, one photographer used such a beater to steady his camera […]

3. A swimming stroke involving alternating kicks.
4. (military, slang) A helicopter.
   • 2008, George Galdorisi, Thomas Phillips, Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue:

     He scanned the horizon to the south, searching in vain for the eggbeater.

5. (slang) An outboard motor.

Synonyms

• rotary beater

Coordinate terms

• (kitchen utensil): eggwhisk; see also beater, whisk

Translations

kitchen utensil: rotary beater

whisk — see whisk