whipsaw

• WordNet 3.6
  • v whipsaw saw with a whipsaw
  • v whipsaw victimize, especially in gambling or negotiations
  • n whipsaw a saw with handles at both ends; intended for use by two people
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• • Whipsaw A kind of narrow ripsaw, tapering from butt to point, with hook teeth and averaging from 5 to 71/2 feet in length, used by one or two men.
  • Whipsaw A saw for dividing timber lengthwise, usually set in a frame, and worked by two persons; also, a fret saw.
  • Whipsaw (Finance) to cause to suffer a series of losses in trading when buying and selling at the wrong times in a rapidly fluctuating market; -- especially used when an attempt is made, by selling short, to recover losses from a long purchase in a declining market, and the short sale also results in a loss when the market subsequently rises. Used mostly in the passive; as, to be whipsawed by exaggerated responses to a changing outlook.
  • Whipsaw to cause to suffer a setback or losses by subjecting to two forces at the same time or in rapid succession; as, consumers were whipsawed by both inflation and higher sales taxes.
  • Whipsaw To defeat in, or cause to lose, two different bets at the same turn or in one play, as a player at faro who has made two bets at the same time, one that a card will lose and another that a different card will win; hence, to defeat in spite of every effort.
  • Whipsaw To saw with the whipsaw.
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• • whipsaw Hence, to beat, defeat, or cause to fail in two opposite ways at the same time. See the extract.
  • n whipsaw A frame-saw with a narrow blade, used to cut curved kerfs. See cut under saw.
  • whipsaw To cut with a whip-saw.
  • whipsaw To have or take the advantage of (an adversary), whatever he does or may be able to do; particularly, in gamblers' slang, to win at faro, at one turn (two bets made by the same person, one of which is played open, the other being coppered); beat (a player) in two ways at once.
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