Whip raised, I go for mum (8)
I believe the answer is:
taciturn
'mum' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
'whip raised i go' is the wordplay.
'whip' becomes 'cat' (cat o' nine tails, cat for short is a type of whip).
'raised' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'go' becomes 'turn' (synonyms).
'cat' reversed gives 'tac'.
'tac'+'i'+'turn'='TACITURN'
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for taciturn that I've seen before include "Quiet and uncommunicative" , "Not inclined to conversation" , "Reserved, saying little" , "Far from talkative" , "Without saying much" .)