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whis·tle (hw s l, w s -)v. whis·tled, whis·tling, whis·tles v.intr.1. To produce a clear musical sound by forcing air through the teeth or through an aperture formed by pursing the lips. 2. To produce a clear, shrill, sharp musical sound by blowing on or through a device. 3. a. To produce a high-pitched sound when moving swiftly through the air: The stone whistled past my head. b. To produce a high-pitched sound by the rapid movement of air through an opening or past an obstruction: Wind whistled through the cracks in the windows. 4. To emit a shrill, sharp, high-pitched cry, as some birds and other animals. v.tr.1. To produce by whistling: whistle a tune. 2. To summon, signal, or direct by whistling. 3. To cause to move with a whistling noise. n.1. a. A small wind instrument for making whistling sounds by means of the breath. b. A device for making whistling sounds by means of forced air or steam: a factory whistle. 2. A sound produced by a whistling device or by whistling through the lips. 3. A whistling sound, as of an animal or a projectile. 4. The act of whistling. 5. A whistling sound used to summon or command. Idioms: blow the whistle Slang To expose a wrongdoing in the hope of bringing it to a halt: an attorney who blew the whistle on governmental corruption. whistle in the dark To attempt to keep one's courage up.
[Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlian.] |
whistling [ˈwɪslɪŋ]n (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Veterinary Science) Vet science a breathing defect of horses characterized by a high-pitched sound with each intake of air Compare roaring [6]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | whistling - the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperturesound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them" | | 2. | whistling - the act of whistling a tune; "his cheerful whistling indicated that he enjoyed his work"music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" | | 3. | whistling - the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle; "the whistle signalled the end of the game"signal, signaling, sign - any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message; "signals from the boat suddenly stopped" |
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