An instrument with a handle and a long rope-like lash used for striking or making a cracking sound. It can be used for various purposes, including as a tool for directing animals, as a weapon, or as a fetish implement in BDSM. The distinct loud sound of a whip "cracking" as it is swung is produced by a part of the lash breaking the sound barrier and generating a small sonic boom. Not to be confused with a riding crop, which is a semi-rigid stick instead of a lash.