whistle

/ˈwɪsəl/

/ˈhwɪsəl/

/ˈwɪsəl/

Other forms: whistled; whistles

A whistle is a small wind instrument, and you probably know people who are good at whistling without an instrument. Trains have whistles, and the wind whistles too. The world is full of whistles.

Whistle is a word with several meanings, but they have in common a similar high-pitched, airy sound. This is different from most instruments. You can't tuba without a tuba, but you can whistle without a whistle. Sometimes people's teeth make a whistling sound by accident. Referees and traffic cops carry whistles to get people's attention. Other people whistle for many reasons: because they're impressed, see something they like, or just want to say, "Hey you!"

Definitions of whistle

1. noun

   the sound made when someone forces breath through pursed lips
   type of:

   utterance, vocalization

   the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
2. noun

   the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
   synonyms: whistling

   type of:

   sound

   the sudden occurrence of an audible event
3. noun

   the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle
   “the whistle signalled the end of the game”

   synonyms: whistling

   type of:

   sign, signal, signaling

   any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
4. noun

   acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound
   types:

   boat whistle

   a whistle on a boat that is sounded as a warning

   factory whistle

   a whistle at a factory that is sounded to announce times for starting or stopping work

   steam whistle

   a whistle in which the sound is produced by steam; usually attached to a steam boiler

   type of:

   acoustic device

   a device for amplifying or transmitting sound

   signaling device

   a device used to send signals
5. verb

   make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound
   synonyms: sing

   type of:

   go, sound

   make a certain noise or sound
6. verb

   make whistling sounds
   “He lay there, snoring and whistling”

   type of:

   go, sound

   make a certain noise or sound
7. verb

   utter or express by whistling
   “She whistled a melody”

   type of:

   communicate, intercommunicate

   transmit thoughts or feelings
8. verb

   give a signal by whistling
   “She whistled for her maid”

   type of:

   sign, signal, signalise, signalize

   communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs
9. noun

   a small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by blowing into it
   type of:

   wind, wind instrument

   a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by the breath
10. noun

    an inexpensive fipple flute
    synonyms: pennywhistle, tin whistle

    type of:

    fipple flute, fipple pipe, recorder, vertical flute

    a tubular wind instrument with 8 finger holes and a fipple mouthpiece
11. verb

    move, send, or bring as if by whistling
    “Her optimism whistled away these worries”

    type of:

    displace, move

    cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
12. verb

    move with, or as with, a whistling sound
    type of:

    go, locomote, move, travel

    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically