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whistling

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.02 sec.
whis·tle  (hwsl, ws-)
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
Noun1.whistlingwhistling - the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
2.whistlingwhistling - 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.whistlingwhistling - 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"
Translations
whistling hwɪslɪŋ] nsifflement m
whistling
nPfeifen nt


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
By and by he thought he heard a whistle, as of some one whistling a tune.
I have been watching you from over the wall--sitting like IM-patience on a monument, and pouting up that pretty red mouth to whistling shape, and whooing and whooing, and privately swearing, and never being able to produce a note.
I listened, and heard on the other side of the door a shouting voice, accompanied by an extraordinary rumbling and whistling sound, traveling backward and forward, as well as I could judge, over a great space.
 
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