WHISTLE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does whistle mean? 

• WHISTLE (noun)
  The noun WHISTLE has 5 senses:

1. the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

2. the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle

3. a small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by blowing into it

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

5. an inexpensive fipple flute

  Familiarity information: WHISTLE used as a noun is common.

• WHISTLE (verb)
  The verb WHISTLE has 6 senses:

1. make whistling sounds

2. move with, or as with, a whistling sound

3. utter or express by whistling

4. move, send, or bring as if by whistling

5. make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound

6. give a signal by whistling

  Familiarity information: WHISTLE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHISTLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

whistle; whistling

Hypernyms ("whistle" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Derivation:

whistle (make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

whistle; whistling

Context example:

the whistle signalled the end of the game

Hypernyms ("whistle" is a kind of...):

sign; signal; signaling (any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message)

Derivation:

whistle (give a signal by whistling)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by blowing into it

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("whistle" is a kind of...):

wind; wind instrument (a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by bellows or the human breath)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("whistle" is a kind of...):

acoustic device (a device for amplifying or transmitting sound)

signaling device (a device used to send signals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "whistle"):

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)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An inexpensive fipple flute

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

pennywhistle; tin whistle; whistle

Hypernyms ("whistle" is a kind of...):

fipple flute; fipple pipe; recorder; vertical flute (a tubular wind instrument with 8 finger holes and a fipple mouthpiece)

• WHISTLE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they whistle    ... he / she / it whistles   
Past simple: whistled   
Past participle: whistled   
-ing form: whistling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make whistling sounds

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

He lay there, snoring and whistling

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence examples:

The birds whistle in the woods
The woods whistle with many kinds of birds

Derivation:

whistler (someone who makes a loud high sound)

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

Sense 2

Meaning:

Move with, or as with, a whistling sound

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

The bullets whistled past him

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

go; locomote; move; travel (change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Utter or express by whistling

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She whistled a melody

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

whistler (someone who makes a loud high sound)

whistling (the act of whistling a tune)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Move, send, or bring as if by whistling

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

Her optimism whistled away these worries

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

displace; move (cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

sing; whistle

Context example:

the bullet sang past his ear

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

whistle; whistling (the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Give a signal by whistling

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She whistled for her maid

Hypernyms (to "whistle" is one way to...):

sign; signal; signalise; signalize (communicate silently and non-verbally by signals or signs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

whistle; whistling (the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle)

 Context examples 

“Now, I'll tell you what, young Copperfield,” said he: “the wine shall be kept to wet your whistle when you are story-telling.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He was whistling “Come, Lasses and Lads.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He whistled to himself, softly, first with surprise, and then, at the end, with admiration.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Dorothy blew the little whistle she had always carried about her neck since the Queen of the Mice had given it to her.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

"All you have to do is whistle and he'll come running."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Already the doors had all been shut and the whistle blown, when— “My dear Watson,” said a voice, “you have not even condescended to say good-morning.”

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Because during the last few nights I have always, about three in the morning, heard a low, clear whistle.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Below, as I stood whistling for a cab, a man came on me through the fog.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and began to whistle.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

But now, as we came out from the dust, we could see what was ahead, and my uncle whistled between his teeth at the sight.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)