whistle

Study(34)

/ˈwɪs(ə)l/

noun 5verb 5

Collocations

(noun.) small metal/plastic tube that you blow

ADJ

dog, factory, police, train | guard's, referee's, etc. | steam | penny, tin

VERB + WHISTLE

blow (on), sound

The referee blew her whistle to stop the soccer match.

WHISTLE + VERB

blow, go, sound

The kettle started to whistle when the water reached boiling point.

PHRASES

a blast on a whistle

The referee's blast on his whistle stopped the game immediately.

(noun.) clear high-pitched sound

ADJ

loud | high, high-pitched, piercing, shrill | low | long | short

silent

She gave a silent whistle of appreciation when she saw the beautiful sunset.

tuneless | wolf

final

The referee blew the final whistle and our team celebrated winning the match.

VERB + WHISTLE

give, let out | hear

PREP

with a ~

The kettle started boiling with a loud whistle from the kitchen.

~ of

The referee's sharp whistle of approval signaled that the player had made a legal move.

(verb.)

ADV

loudly | softly, under your breath

through your teeth

He whistled through his teeth as he walked past the old house on the corner.

cheerfully | tunelessly

VERB + WHISTLE

begin to | hear sb

PREP

The construction workers whistled at the pretty woman walking past the building site.

Sarah whistled in approval as she watched the acrobat perform his incredible trick.

The dog started whistling to get the cat's attention from across the yard.

Definitions

noun

A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.

A lovely crisp exhaust: a feeling of almost unlimited power combined with complete freedom of running: and, to crown it all, a most melodious and wholly American chime whistle—these were my immediate impressions as we stormed rapidly out of Göttingen, intent on winning back some of the lost time.

One thing I took great care to observe was obedience to the "whistle" boards which crop up with great frequency, for failure to sound the whistle, if observed by the gendarmerie, can bring about serious consequences.

An act of whistling.

A shrill, high-pitched sound made by whistling.

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.

Any high-pitched sound similar to the sound made by whistling.

the whistle of the wind in the trees

A suit (from whistle and flute).

We soldiers changed into our No.1 dress uniforms, Sid into his best whistle and we set off for the church.

verb

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.

He was whistling a happy tune.

To make a similar sound by forcing air through a musical instrument or a pipe etc.

The steam train whistled as it passed by.

It requires quite an orchestra to get a train to start; the guard blows his horn, the stationmaster rings a large bell, and the engine whistles.

To move in such a way as to create a whistling sound.

A bullet whistled past.

To send, signal, or call by a whistle.

To request admission to Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organization.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — an inexpensive fipple flute

pennywhistle

noun — the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blow

whistling

noun — the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam comin

whistling

verb — make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound

sing

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

whistle walk

The path slaves took to deliver food from the kitchen building of a plantation to the main dining room. Stories claim that slaves were expected to whistle during this walk in order to assure their masters that they were not eating the food.

blow the whistle

To disclose information to the public or to appropriate authorities concerning the illegal or socially harmful actions of a person or group, especially a corporation or government agency.

In some jurisdictions, it is illegal to fire a person for blowing the whistle on an employer.

whistle Dixie

To engage in idle conversational fantasies.

He said he was going to open a business next year, but I think he was just whistling Dixie.

wet one's whistle

To have a drink; to quench one's thirst.

I'll take another glass of the sherry wine, just to wet my whistle, as the vulgar saying is, before I begin.

whistle in the dark

To make a show of bravery despite one's fears; to put on a brave face.

Those who seriously believe ‘There'll always be an England’ are whistling in the dark.

Example Bank

Wiktionary

[...] and Temple station, which had to have a very modestly proportioned station building on the insistence of the Duke of Norfolk who owned the land on which it was built, and where the trains under

Wiktionary

Never whistle at a funeral.

Wiktionary

He was whistling a happy tune.

Wiktionary

The steam train whistled as it passed by.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, whistle is marked as slang. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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