The Whippet is a breed of dog, of the sighthound family. They are active and playful and are physically similar to a small greyhound. Whippets were bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at high speeds. One can find numerous representations of small greyhound-like hounds in art dating back to Roman times but the first written English use of the word "whippet" with regard to a type of dog was in 1610.