whistle stop
1
7.4
- noun
- /ˈhwɪsəl stɑp/
:
estación de parada
- The train slowed down at every whistle stop along the rural route.
Examples
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During the train journey, we made a brief stop at a whistle stop to let a few passengers board.
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Many old movies show couples meeting at a lonely whistle stop in the middle of nowhere.
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We waited at the tiny whistle stop for the evening passenger train to arrive.
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The train will only stop at the whistle stop if you signal.
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We passed a whistle stop on our way to the city.
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The mayor announced a speech at a small whistle stop where he could connect with local residents.
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Many important political figures have used a whistle stop to engage with voters in rural areas.
Synonyms
7
1.3
A place where trains stop to pick up and drop off people and goods
5
1.5
A place where trains stop to pick up or drop off people and goods
4
3.9
A small stop on a route where people pause before continuing
2
8.2
A short stop at a small place, for example a train stop or a campaign visit
A small train station where trains stop only if someone signals them
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound clearly links 'whistle' (a signal sound) with 'stop' (a place where vehicles pause), so a learner can infer it denotes a stop associated with a whistle or signalling. However, the specific conventional meaning — a small station where trains stop only on request or for a signal — is a specialized, conventionalized sense that goes beyond the literal combination and may not be fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Whistle stop comes from small railway stations where a train would only stop when someone blew a whistle or gave a signal to make the train stop. So a whistle stop means a tiny 'station' where trains stop only 'on request'.