whistle
56
1.0
- noun
- /ˈwɪsəl/
:
silbido
- Every time Algeria touched the ball, energy pulsed through the crowd, eliciting shouts, whistles, applause, and groans.
- heard whistles
- train whistle
- pitch of the whistle
Train, ask the right questions, get all the information, whistle goes.
- Train, ask the right questions, get all the information, whistle goes.
- I just jumped out of bed, went to the transformer, changed the speed, made the whistle go.
- Of course it broadcasts pain across fat line and thin, like a whistle in a dog's ear or a God's.
Examples
-
Morgan heard in the morning; the watchman's whistle was the last thing she heard at night.
Fiction book (1991) -
Murmurs of agreement are replaced by low whistles as the full moon climbs above the canyon rim.
Academic text (2009) -
Long after midnight, I heard the foundry whistle signal the changing shifts.
Fiction book (1992) -
The eerie sound of a long train whistle breaks the silence.
Fiction book (1990) -
You could hear the whistles of two trains as they passed each other at the ramps.
Fiction book (1990) -
A barking dog, a rooster crowing, or a distant train whistle can add immeasurably to the audience's involvement.
Academic text (1996) -
Hidden in the trees and shrubs, birds continued their lunatic symphony of twitterings, whistles, and cackles.
Fiction book (1993) -
As the train approached, I heard the unmistakable whistle signaling its arrival.
-
The referee blew his whistle to start the soccer match.
-
You could hear the whistle of the wind as it rushed past the tall buildings.
Synonyms
14
1.9
A high sharp sound made when air moves quickly through a small opening
1
4.6
A loud horn on steam engines used to signal or warn
1
3.9
A loud sound at a factory that signals the start or end of work
1
4.2
A small simple metal flute that you play by blowing used in folk music
A short high whistling sound made by small birds
A loud device on a boat that makes a signal sound to warn other ships
A floating marker that makes a loud sharp sound to guide ships
A floating marker that makes a whistling sound to warn ships of danger
Idioms
- Informal
Expect to get something that is very unlikely, for example more pay
Compounds
66
5.0
A person who tells authorities or the public about illegal actions at their workplace
2
7.1
A series of short visits to small towns by a politician during an election campaign
How High-Pitched
Surface Forms
Etymology
Whistle began as a sound word whist meaning 'a sharp, high noise', like a quick 'whist' or 'hiss'. So a whistle is the high-pitched sound made by a person, a device, or something moving fast.