whistle
v.
produce a shrill sound by forcing air (or steam) through a small opening between the teeth or lips (or in a mechanical device, i.e. tea kettle or train); move quickly through the air making a whistle-like sound; call by whistling
n.
shrill sound produced by forcing air through a small opening (as between the lips or teeth); device which produces a whistle by forcing air or steam through an opening (i.e. tea kettle, train whistle); act of whistling
Whistle
Whistle!
whistle
Noun
1. the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
(synonym) whistling
(hypernym) sound
(derivation) sing
2. the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle; "the whistle signalled the end of the game"
(synonym) whistling
(hypernym) signal, signaling, sign
3. acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound
(hypernym) acoustic device
(hyponym) boat whistle
4. an inexpensive fipple flute
(synonym) pennywhistle, tin whistle
(hypernym) fipple flute, fipple pipe, recorder, vertical flute
Verb
1. make whistling sounds; "He lay there, snoring and whistling"
(hypernym) sound, go
(derivation) whistler
2. move with, or as with, a whistling sound; "The bullets whistled past him"
(hypernym) travel, go, move, locomote
3. utter or express by whistling; "She whistled a melody"
(hypernym) communicate, intercommunicate
(derivation) whistler
4. move, send, or bring as if by whistling; "Her optimism whistled away these worries"
(hypernym) move, displace
5. make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound; "the kettle was singing"; "the bullet sang past his ear"
(synonym) sing
(hypernym) sound, go
(derivation) whistling
6. give a signal by whistling; "She whistled for her maid"
(hypernym) sign, signal, signalize, signalise
(derivation) whistling
Whistle
(v. t.)
To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
(v. t.)
To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air.
(v. i.)
To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.
(v. i.)
To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.
(v. i.)
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.
(v. i.)
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.
(v. i.)
The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of whistling.
(v. i.)
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).
(v. i.)
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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter.
About
Whistle
an end blown flute with a fipple. all kinds exist around the world. See flageolet.