whistle
(hwɪsəl )
Word forms: whistles , whistling , whistled
1. verb B2
When you whistle or when you whistle a tune, you make a series of musical notes by forcing your breath out between your lips, or your teeth.
He whistled and sang snatches of songs. [VERB]
He was whistling softly to himself. [VERB]
As he washed, he whistled a tune. [VERB noun]
2. verb B2
When someone whistles, they make a sound by forcing their breath out between their lips or their teeth. People sometimes whistle when they are surprised or shocked, or to call a dog, or to show that they are impressed.
He whistled, surprised but not shocked. [VERB]
Jenkins whistled through his teeth, impressed at last. [VERB preposition]
Women don't enjoy being whistled at. [VERB preposition]
Whistle is also a noun.
Jackson gave a low whistle.
3. See also wolf-whistle
4. verb
If something such as a train or a kettle whistles, it makes a loud, high sound.
Somewhere a train whistled. [VERB]
...the whistling car radio. [VERB-ing]
whistling singular noun
...the whistling of the wind.
5. verb
If something such as the wind or a bullet whistles somewhere, it moves there, making a loud, high sound.
The wind was whistling through the building. [VERB preposition]
As I stood up a bullet whistled past my back. [VERB preposition]
6. countable noun
A whistle is a loud sound produced by air or steam being forced through a small opening, or by something moving quickly through the air.
Hugh listened to the whistle of a train. [+ of]
...the whistle of the wind. [+ of]
...a shrill whistle from the boiling kettle.
7. countable noun B2
A whistle is a small metal tube which you blow into in order to produce a loud sound and attract someone's attention.
On the platform, the guard blew his whistle.
The referee blew his whistle for a penalty.
8. countable noun
Some factories and other places where people work have a whistle which signals the beginning and the end of the working day.
Every night you could hear the whistles of the steel mill.
9. countable noun
A whistle is a simple musical instrument in the shape of a metal pipe with holes. You play the whistle by blowing into it.
10. See also tin whistle
11. to blow the whistle phrase
If you blow the whistle on someone, or on something secret or illegal, you tell another person, especially a person in authority, what is happening.
Companies should protect employees who blow the whistle on dishonest workmates.
12. See also whistle-blower
13. sb can whistle for sth phrase [VERB inflects]
If you say that someone can whistle for a particular thing, you mean that you are not willing or able to give it to them. [informal]
'He wants a police escort.'—'Well, he can whistle for that.'
14. clean as a whistle phrase [verb-link PHRASE]
If you describe someone as clean as a whistle, you mean that they are not guilty of having done anything wrong.
'His private life is as clean as a whistle,' says McSmith.
15. clean as a whistle phrase
If you describe something as clean as a whistle, you mean that it is completely clean.
16. whistling in the dark phrase [VERB inflects]
If you say that someone is whistling in the dark, you mean that they are trying to remain brave and convince themselves that the situation is not as bad as it seems.
I waited, trying not to feel as if I were whistling in the dark.
17. to wet your whistle phrase [VERB inflects]
To wet your whistle means to have a drink. [old-fashioned]
18. whistle in the wind phrase [VERB inflects]
If you describe someone as whistling in the wind, you mean that they are trying unsuccessfully to change something which cannot be changed.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats accused the Prime Minister of whistling in the wind to raise Conservative party morale.
Image of whistle
© Pamela Uyttendaele, Shutterstock
Idioms:
whistle in the dark
to try not to show that you are afraid, or to try to believe that a situation is not as bad as it seems
Maggie started telling jokes, trying to keep up everyone's spirits, but we all knew she was just whistling in the dark.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
clean as a whistle
having done nothing wrong
There are no scandals. His private life is as clean as a whistle.
completely free from dirt
It leaves your face feeling clean as a whistle but not bone-dry.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
blow the whistle on someone or something
to tell the authorities about something secret or illegal, or someone who is doing something illegal, dishonest, or immoral because you feel strongly that what they are doing is wrong and they should be stopped
Members of Queensland coastal communities are being asked to blow the whistle on activities that damage the marine environment.
The department needs to protect whistle-blowers, health professionals who want and care to make a change in the system.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
someone can whistle for something
said rudely to mean that you will not give something to someone
She refused to open her books to the auditors, closed the show and told the city it could whistle for its money.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
whistle in the wind
to say something empty or pointless.
Prior to going out, he had confided to some Spanish journalists that he was going to win the tournament, but that turned out to be whistling in the wind.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Translations:
Chinese: 口哨, 吹口哨
Japanese: 口笛, 口笛を吹く
- short-story collection
- short stroll
- short temper
- short-tempered
- short tenure
- short-term
- short-term assignments
- short-term basis
- short-term benefit
- short-term bond
- short-term borrowing
- short-term cash
- short-term considerations
- short-term contract
- short-term cost
- short-term credit
- short-term debt
- short-term demand
- short-term deposit
- short-term disruption
- short-term effect
- short-term fix
- short-term forecast
- short-term gain
- short-term goal