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Webster 1913 Edition

Whistle

Whis′tle

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Whistled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Whistling
.]
[AS.
hwistlian
; akin to Sw.
hvissla
, Dan.
hvisle
, Icel.
hvīsla
to whisper, and E.
whisper
. √43. See
Whisper
.]
1.
To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.
The weary plowman leaves the task of day,
And, trudging homeward,
whistles
on the way.
Gay.
2.
To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.
3.
To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound;
as, a bullet
whistles
through the air
.
The wild winds
whistle
, and the billows roar.
Pope.

Whis′tle

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To form, utter, or modulate by whistling;
as, to
whistle
a tune or an air
.
2.
To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had
whistled
him up.
Addison.
To whistle off
.
(a)
To dismiss by a whistle; – a term in hawking.
“AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft.”
Burton.
(b)
Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss.
I ’ld
whistle
her
off
, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune.
Shakespeare
☞ “A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned.”
Nares.

Whis′tle

,
Noun.
[AS.
hwistle
a pipe, flute, whistle. See
Whistle
,
Verb.
I.
]
1.
A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird;
as, the sharp
whistle
of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow
whistle
.
Might we but hear
The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, . . .
Or
whistle
from the lodge.
Milton.
The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and by that means lost his
whistle
.
Spectator.
They fear his
whistle
, and forsake the seas.
Dryden.
2.
The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.
3.
An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips;
as, a child's
whistle
; a boatswain's
whistle
; a steam
whistle
(see
Steam whistle
, under
Steam
)
.
The bells she jingled, and the
whistle
blew.
Pope.
4.
The mouth and throat; – so called as being the organs of whistling.
[Colloq.]
So was her jolly
whistle
well ywet.
Chaucer.
Let's drink the other cup to wet our
whistles
.
Walton.
Whistle duck
(Zool.)
,
the American golden-eye.

Webster 1828 Edition

Whistle

WHISTLE

,
Verb.
I.
hwisl. [L., a whistle; allied to whisper.]
1.
To utter a kind of musical sound, by pressing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips.
While the plowman near at hand, whistles oer the furrowd land.
2.
To make a sound with a small wind instrument.
3.
To sound shrill, or like a pipe.
The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar.

WHISTLE

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To form, utter or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or air.
2.
To call by a whistle; as, he whistled back his dog.

WHISTLE

,
Noun.
[L.]
1.
A small wind instrument.
2.
The sound made by a small wind instrument.
3.
Sound made by pressing the breath through a small orifice of the lips.
4.
The mouth; the organ of whistling. [Vulgar.]
5.
A small pipe, used by a boatswain to summon the sailors to their duty; the boatswains call.
6.
The shrill sound of winds passing among trees or through crevices, &c.
7.
A call, such as sportsmen use to their dogs.

Definition 2024

whistle

whistle

English

A whistle (1)

Noun

whistle ‎(countable and uncountable, plural whistles)

  1. A device designed to be placed in the mouth in order, or driven by steam or otherwise, to make a whistling sound.
  2. An act of whistling.
  3. A shrill, high-pitched sound made by whistling.
    • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 5, in The Celebrity:
      We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine. […] As we reached the lodge we heard the whistle, and we backed up against one side of the platform as the train pulled up at the other.
  4. Any high-pitched sound similar to the sound made by whistling.
    the whistle of the wind in the trees
  5. (Cockney rhyming slang) A suit (from whistle and flute).
    • 2005, Wally Payne, A Minority of One: A Monkey's Tale Continued
      We soldiers changed into our No.1 dress uniforms, Sid into his best whistle and we set off for the church.
  6. The mouth and throat; so called as being the organs of whistling.
    • Walton
      Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

whistle ‎(third-person singular simple present whistles, present participle whistling, simple past and past participle whistled)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To make a shrill, high-pitched sound by forcing air through the mouth. To produce a whistling sound, restrictions to the flow of air are created using the teeth, tongue and lips.
    Never whistle at a funeral.
    She was whistling a happy tune.
  2. (intransitive) To move in such a way as to create a whistling sound.
    A bullet whistled past.
  3. (transitive) To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
    • Addison
      He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Etymology

From Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlan, hwistlian ‎(“to whistle”), from Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną ‎(“to make a hissing sound”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /wɪsl̩/, IPA(key): /ʍɪsl̩/
  • (US) IPA(key): /wɪsl̩/, IPA(key): /ʍɪsl̩/
  • Rhymes: -ɪsəl

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