whistling
17
1.0
- noun
- /ˈhwɪs.lɪŋ/
:
silbido
- All of the cabs on the street began to honk merrily, and a whistling firecracker went off somewhere below.
- hear her whistling
- sound of whistling
- stop that whistling
Examples
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But Lomax says anyone can improve their whistling, it just takes practice, practice, practice.
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I happen to have the, you know, I was blessed with some degree of musical talent, so I spend a lot of time humming and whistling and making up compositions.
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And when I heard her whistling, I thought it was the iceman whistling, but no, it was the maid.
Fiction book (1998) -
We never knew when he'd come home whistling, tipsy to his toes.
Fiction book (1999) -
But then, hearing nearly distant whistling, he clicks on windows furiously, closing them.
Fiction book (2001) -
Jaunty music, whistling, and Naughton's understated narration provide perfect balance to the bold art.
Academic text (2008) -
It's an odd song sung in a happy tempo; a whistling refrain overtakes the lyrics as Josh inhales.
Fiction book (2001) -
To rally them, I struck up a spirited whistling rendition of "Colonel Bogey's March" and stepped forward smartly, arms swinging.
Fiction book (2002) -
He delighted the crowd with his whistling of popular tunes during the concert.
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Her whistling echoed off the walls as she walked through the empty hall.
Compounds
- Specialized
A floating marker that makes a whistling sound to warn ships of danger
A large ground squirrel that lives in mountains and makes a loud high whistle
How Musical
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word whistling comes from an old sound word whist that copies the quick 'wh' breath people use to make a tune. So whistling means 'making a clear, musical sound with the lips and breath'.