† whissv.
Obsolete.
1. intransitive. To make a sibilant sound of some kind; to whistle, hiss, whizz, or wheeze; transitive to whistle to.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > other vocal sounds > [verb (transitive)] > whistle
whissa1400
whistle1559
whutea1663
whiffle1832
wheeple1901
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [verb (intransitive)]
sissa1300
hish1388
hissc1400
hizzle1582
hizz1608
whiss1654
sistle1849
shish1881
a1400 Parl. 3 Ages 234 He [sc. falconer] quysses thaym [sc. hawks] and quotes thaym, quyppeys full lowde.
1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot ii. iv. 49 Such a Nose is worth a double tost in a pot of Ale, and will make it whisse as well as a hot steele.
a1657 G. Daniel Trinarchodia: Henry V ccliii, in Poems (1878) IV. 164 Their fled Troops, met whissing in the Bound, Gave their owne Terror, in a Treble Sound.
1847 J. O. Halliwell Dict. Archaic & Provinc. Words II Whiss, to whistle.
2. transitive ? To strike with something pliant, to flog: cf. quot. c1590 for whiss n. at Derivatives in noun below.Text uncertain.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > striking with specific thing > strike with specific thing [verb (transitive)] > strike with an object > with something pliant
yarka1529
jerk1550
whissa1578
cut1607
scutch1611
slash1660
lashc1694
whip1699
switch1832
a1578 J. Heywood Witty & Witless 47 in Two Moral Interludes (1991) 20 Some whysk [Percy Soc. ed. whysse] hym some whype hym.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > striking with specific thing > [noun] > blow struck with an object or instrument > with something pliant
lashc1330
lashingc1400
jerking1552
jerk1555
whipping1577
slive1589
whissc1590
scutch1611
scutching1611
switchinga1640
cut1787
sliver1806
switch1809
welt1863
score1882
c1590 J. Stewart Poems (1913) 235 Tak thair ane quheiss ȝit vith my skoullon clout.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [noun]
whistlingc897
hissinga1425
hiss1513
whissing1555
hizzing1582
sibilation1626
afflatus1753
siss1859
shish1881
sizzing1890
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [adjective]
hissinga1547
whissing1555
hizzing1582
sibilous1768
sibilating1782
sibilant1802
shushing1929
shush-shush1954
1555 R. Eden Two Viages into Guinea in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 357 The whyssinge of a burninge forge.
1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Auster Sibilus Austri, the whissynge of the winde.
1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus (new ed.) sig. Tiij v Like the sea which sodenlye with whissing noyse dooth moue, when with a little blast of winde it is but toucht.
1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. i. A4 Whissing lungs. View more context for this quotation
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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