Also 6–7 wype. [f. WIPE v.]
1. An act of wiping (in senses 1–3 of WIPE v.).
In first quot. in fig. phr.: see WIPE v. 9 a.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. vii. 388. That which hath sharpned the pens of many against him, is his giving so many cleanly wipes to the foul noses of the Pope and Italian Prelacy.
1849. Cupples, Green Hand, x. Here the worthy man took off his large spectacles, gave them a wipe, and put them on again.
1859. Househ. Encycl., II. 401/2. If the spit is carefully wiped after roasting,… it will require nothing more than a wipe before using.
1885. J. B. Gough, Platform Echoes, 69. He had been in the mine, and had evidently given himself a splash and a wipe.
1888. J. W. Clarke, Mod. Plumbing Pract. (1914), I. 168. Some men can take longer ‘wipes’ than others, but the wipes should always be done as quickly as possible.
b. With advs., in various lit. and fig. senses.
1822. [? Egan], Real Life Lond., I. 322. A brush to give the gemman a wipe down.
1884. D. Kemp, Yacht & Boat Sailing (ed. 4), 165. Do not wait until her bowsprit is over your quarter before you luff, but take a wipe out across her when she is fifty yards off or so.
1894. H. Nisbet, Bush Girl’s Rom., 138. Those more particular gave them [sc. the tin platters] a rough wipe-out with a piece of paper.
1912. D. Crawford, Thinking Black, xviii. 371. For this vile fly means sleeping sickness, and sleeping sickness means a wipe-out.
2. A slashing blow, a sweeping cut, a swipe; also fig. (in early use esp. in phraseological expressions, e.g., a wipe over the shins; also, a ‘blow of Fortune,’ a stroke of misfortune).
1550. Bale, Image Both Ch., II. 66 b. He [sc. the Beast] had a greuouse wype with the sworde (which is the lyuynge worde of the lorde) whan he lost his monks [etc.].
1568. T. Howell, Newe Sonets (1879), 117. When cruell fate them cleane cut of, at one most soden wipe.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1577), 235. The beginners of quarels do sometime catch a wipe.
1582. Marprel. Epit., B. He hath giuen the cause sicken a wipe in his brick,… that the cause will be the warmer … for it.
1590. Pasquil’s Apol., I. C ij. The second venue the Welch-man hath bestowed vpon vs, is a wipe ouer the shinnes of the Non Residents.
1635. Brome, Sparagus Garden, IV. x. So much for single Rapier: now for your secret wipe at Back-sword.
1644. Bp. Hall, Serm., Eph. iv. 30, Rem. Wks. (1660), 107. The least wipe of the eye troubles us more then a hard stroak upon the back.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., s.v., That story gave him a fine wipe.
1788. Thicknesse, Sk. Life Gainsborough, 43. When a certain Duchess sent to know the reason why her picture was not sent home? he gave it a wipe in the face with his back-ground-brush.
1808. Sir J. Moore, in Jas. C. Moore, Narr. Campaign (1809), 297. It will be very agreeable to give a wipe to such a corps.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 39/1. The cove used to fetch me a wipe over the knuckles with his stick.
1891. R. Kipling, Light that Failed, vi. 100. There’s the scar of the wipe he got when he was cut over.
† b. transf. A mark as of a blow or lash; a scar or brand. poet. Obs.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 537. The blemish … Worse then a slauish wipe or birth howrs blot.
† c. colloq. An act of drinking: cf. SWIPE sb.2 3.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, Sat. vi. E 6 b. We gaue the Brewers Diet-drinke a wipe.
3. fig. A cutting remark; a sarcastic reproof or rebuff; a jeer, jibe.
In quots. 1596 in colorless sense, = ‘remark.’
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 39. This as a wype be the way [orig. ut hoc obiter dicam]. Ibid., 263.
1606. Proc. agst. Late Traitors, 286. For his labour [he] receives a wipe at the hands of Bellarmine.
1653. A. Wilson, James I., 96. The Lord Treasurer gave him a wipe, for suffering his Coachman to ride bare before him in the streets.
1659. Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 333. It was an ill wipe to Mr. Grove who brought in the Declaration.
1705. Vanbrugh, Confederacy, V. ii. So, that’s a wipe for me now, because I did not give her a New-Years-Gift last time.
1733. Swift, On Poetry, 95. To statesmen would you give a wipe, You print it in Italic type.
1822. Galt, Provost, xxxi. I did not much like this bantering of Mr. M‘Queerie … I said, ‘Come, come, neighbour, none of your wipes.’
1897. Westm. Gaz., 25 Oct., 2/2. The extraordinary ‘wipe’ (there is no other word for it) which the staid old Quarterly administers … to the Poet Laureate.
4. slang. A handkerchief. (Superseding the earlier WIPER 2.) Also in comb.
1789. G. Parker, Life’s Painter (ed. 2), 136. I only napt a couple of birds eye wipes.
1800. Sporting Mag., XVI. 26. Three boys brought in for prigging of wipes.
1800. in Spirit Publ. Jrnls., IV. 254. The wipe-nabbers made a tolerable gleaning.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, viii. ‘Is Fagin upstairs?’ ‘Yes, he’s a sortin’ the wipes.’
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock, 125. The ‘case of wipes,’ as an irreverent bystander called the procès of the pickpocket.
5. = WIPER 5. Also attrib.
[1873. J. C. Maxwell, Electr. & Magn., II. 375. A piece of mechanism (commonly called a Commutator, or wippe).]
1884. W. H. Greenwood, Steel & Iron, xvi. 308. The cam … is a revolving wheel with twelve or fourteen projecting teeth or wipes.
1905. Motor Year-bk., 221. The wipe commutator is placed inside the bonnet projecting upwards.
