whistle

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
2. (countable, uncountable) An act of whistling.
3. (countable, uncountable) A shrill, high-pitched sound made by whistling.
4. (countable, uncountable) Any high-pitched sound similar to the sound made by whistling.
5. (Cockney, countable, slang, uncountable) A suit (from whistle and flute).
6. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) The mouth and throat; so called as being the organs of whistling.

Verb

1. (ambitransitive) 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.
2. (ambitransitive) To make a similar sound by forcing air through a musical instrument or a pipe etc.
3. (intransitive) To move in such a way as to create a whistling sound.
4. (transitive) To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
5. (intransitive, slang) To request admission to Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organization.

Synonyms

whistling

pipe

hiss

siren

horn

whizz

hooter

flute

🪈

catcall

sing

tinkle

hoot

sizzle

jingle

fizz

pennywhistle

hum

blow

chirp

sweep

harmonica

blow a whistle

piping

whistling sound

tin whistle

whine

whiffle

whiz

growl

fife

buzz

toot

roar

singing

wheeze

heckle

chirk

bray

hailer

chink

grunt

post

cheep

boo

blip

graze

ping

puff

rake

phut

Translations

siffler

sifflet

pfeifen

silbar

fischiare

fischio

Pfeife

fluiten

silbato

chiflar

apito

assobiar

xiular

Pfiff

sifflement

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wɪsl̩/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: whistel

Inherited from Old English: hwistle

Inherited from Middle English: whistlen

Inherited from Old English: hwistlan

Cognate with Icelandic: hvísla

Cognate with Russian: свистеть

In summary

From Middle English whistel, whistil, whistle, from Old English hwistle, from the verb (see below).