Hypertext Webster Gateway: "whimsey"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Whim \Whim\, n. [Cf. Icel. hwima to wander with the eyes, vim
giddiness, Norw. kvima to whisk or flutter about, to trifle,
Dan. vimse to skip, whisk, jump from one thing to another,
dial. Sw. hvimsa to be unsteady, dizzy, W. chwimio to move
briskly.]
1. A sudden turn or start of the mind; a temporary
eccentricity; a freak; a fancy; a capricious notion; a
humor; a caprice.

Let every man enjoy his whim. --Churchill.

2. (Mining) A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse
power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from
mines, or for other purposes; -- called also {whim gin},
and {whimsey}.

{Whim gin} (Mining), a whim. See {Whim}, 2.

{Whim shaft} (Mining), a shaft through which ore, water,
etc., is raised from a mine by means of a whim.

Syn: Freak; caprice; whimsey; fancy.

Usage: {Whim}, {Freak}, {Caprice}. Freak denotes an
impulsive, inconsiderate change of mind, as by a child
or a lunatic. Whim is a mental eccentricity due to
peculiar processes or habits of thought. Caprice is
closely allied in meaning to freak, but implies more
definitely a quality of willfulness or wantonness.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Whimsey \Whim"sey\, Whimsy \Whimsy\, n.; pl. {Whimseys}or
{Whimsies}. [See {Whim}.]
1. A whim; a freak; a capricious notion, a fanciful or odd
conceit. ``The whimsies of poets and painters.'' --Ray.

Men's folly, whimsies, and inconstancy. --Swift.

Mistaking the whimseys of a feverish brain for the
calm revelation of truth. --Bancroft.

2. (Mining) A whim.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Whimsey \Whim"sey\, v. t.
To fill with whimseys, or whims; to make fantastic; to craze.
[R.]

To have a man's brain whimsied with his wealth. --J.
Fletcher.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

whimsey
n 1: a whimsical idea; "the theatrical notion of disguise is
associated with disaster in his stories" [syn: {notion},
{whim}, {whimsy}]
2: the trait of acting more from whim or caprice than from
reason or judgment [syn: {flightiness}, {arbitrariness}, {whimsicality},
{whimsy}, {capriciousness}]

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