whistle

Pluralwhistles

Formswhistles, whistling, whistled

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A device that makes a whistling sound, either when blown through the mouth or when driven by steam or some other mechanism.

   The lifeguard gave two sharp blasts on her whistle to call the swimmers in.

   The engineer pulled the cord and sounded the locomotive's whistle at the crossing.

   Note

   The noun was made from the verb, Old English hwistle from hwistlian, so the device is named for the sound it makes. On the railways it became a working instrument: drivers sound the whistle, watch for "whistle" boards set along the line, and admire a melodious chime whistle on a fine locomotive.

2. 2
   with lipsverbtransitive or intransitive

   To make a shrill, high-pitched sound by forcing air through a small opening formed with the lips, tongue, or teeth.

   He whistled a few bars of the national anthem to test the echo.

   Some people can whistle loudly with two fingers in their mouth.

   Note

   Old English hwistlian goes back to a Germanic verb for making a hissing sound, and its relatives show how near whistling lies to whispering: Swedish vissla means "to whistle," Icelandic hvísla "to whisper." The verb works with or without an object: you can simply whistle, or whistle a happy tune.

3. 3
   the soundnouncountable

   The piercing, high-pitched sound that results when someone or something whistles.

   The referee's final whistle was drowned out by the roar of the home fans.

   Through the fog came the shrill whistle of a distant ferry.

4. 4
   nouncountable

   A single act of whistling.

   With a whistle through his fingers, the shepherd sent the collie racing up the hill.

   She let out a low whistle when she saw the price tag.

5. 5
   nouncountable

   Any high-pitched sound resembling the sound produced by whistling.

   The whistle of incoming shells sent the soldiers diving for cover.

   Through the cracked door came the thin whistle of air escaping from a punctured tire.

   Similarwhine, shriek, hiss

6. 6
   verbtransitive

   To send, signal, or call someone or something by means of a whistle.

   The referee whistled a foul against the home team.

   Shepherds whistle their dogs to the left or right across the hillside.

   Similarsignal, call

7. 7
   rush through airverbintransitive

   To move so as to produce a shrill, high-pitched sound, as a bullet or a strong wind does.

   Shells whistled over the trench all night.

   On windy nights, gusts whistle down the chimney and rattle the grate.

   Similarwhiz, whine, scream, howl

   Note

   Here the sound becomes a way of moving, and the verb travels with a word of direction: a bullet whistles past, shells whistle over a trench, wind whistles down a chimney. English treats other sound verbs the same way, as in whiz or hiss, letting the noise stand for the motion.

8. 8
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To make a similar, whistle-like sound by forcing air through a musical instrument, a pipe, or the like.

   Steam locomotives whistle long and loud as they approach a crossing.

   The pipe organ whistled a thin, wavering note before the bellows gave out.

   Similartoot, hoot, shriek

9. 9
   throatnouncolloquialcountable

   The mouth and throat, so called because they are used to whistle.

   The band took a short break to wet their whistles before the second set.

   He poured a splash of whiskey to wet his whistle before the speech.

   Note

   Nearly every use of this sense is the phrase wet one's whistle, to have a drink, and the phrase is old: in Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler (1653) the anglers "drink the other cup to wet our whistles." Outside that idiom, whistle for the mouth or throat would sound odd.

10. 10
    suitnoundialectalCockneycountable

    A suit of clothes; short for whistle and flute, rhyming slang for suit.

    Dad dug his old whistle out of the wardrobe for the funeral.

    Looking sharp in a new whistle, he strolled into the pub like he owned it.

    Similarsuit

    Note

    Cockney rhyming slang works in two steps: suit rhymes with flute, giving whistle and flute, and then the rhyming half drops away, leaving whistle on its own. A man in his best whistle is in his best suit, and only someone who knows the full phrase can follow the logic.

11. 11
    join religious groupverbslangintransitive

    To ask for admission as a member of Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organization.

    After months of retreats and spiritual direction at the Opus Dei center, she finally whistled.

    Not every student who attends the center's talks will go on to whistle.

    Note

    Members of Opus Dei use this as insider slang rather than general Catholic vocabulary: to whistle is to ask to join, a step that comes before any formal admission. It takes no object, so a person simply whistles. Anywhere else the word would be heard as whistling with the lips, so it needs explaining to outsiders.

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