What does "whistle" mean?
A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
Whistle
/ˈwɪs(ə)l/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
- Grammar: whistle is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: air-raid alarm, alarm, alarm bell, alarm clock.
- Useful contrasts: conceal, dull tone, hide.
- Usage evidence: A whistle blew, and the boat slowly began to pull out of port.
How to use "whistle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "whistle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "whistle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "whistle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "whistle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "whistle" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "air-raid alarm" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "whistle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound. countable, uncountable
"A lovely crisp exhaust: a feeling of almost unlimited power combined with complete freedom of running: and, to crown it all, a most melodious and wholly American chime whistle—these were my immediate impressions as we stormed rapidly out of Göttingen, intent on winning back some of the lost time."
- 2 an inexpensive fipple flute wordnet
- 3 An act of whistling. countable, uncountable
- 4 acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound wordnet
- 5 A shrill, high-pitched sound made by whistling. countable, uncountable
"We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine.[…]As we reached the lodge we heard the whistle, and we backed up against one side of the platform as the train pulled up at the other."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by blowing into it wordnet
- 7 Any high-pitched sound similar to the sound made by whistling. countable, uncountable
"the whistle of the wind in the trees"
- 8 the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle wordnet
- 9 A suit (from whistle and flute). Cockney, countable, slang, uncountable
"We soldiers changed into our No.1 dress uniforms, Sid into his best whistle and we set off for the church."
- 10 the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture wordnet
- 11 The mouth and throat; so called as being the organs of whistling. colloquial, countable, uncountable
"Let's […] drink the other cup to wet our whistles."
Verb
- 1 To make a shrill, high-pitched sound by forcing air through the mouth. To produce a whistling sound, restrictions to the flow of air are created using the teeth, tongue and lips. ambitransitive
"Never whistle at a funeral."
- 2 utter or express by whistling wordnet
- 3 To make a similar sound by forcing air through a musical instrument or a pipe etc. ambitransitive
"The steam train whistled as it passed by."
- 4 give a signal by whistling wordnet
- 5 To move in such a way as to create a whistling sound. intransitive
"A bullet whistled past."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound wordnet
- 7 To send, signal, or call by a whistle. transitive
- 8 move with, or as with, a whistling sound wordnet
- 9 To request admission to Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic organization. intransitive, slang
- 10 move, send, or bring as if by whistling wordnet
- 11 make whistling sounds wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"A whistle blew, and the boat slowly began to pull out of port."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "whistle"?
Common synonyms include: air-raid alarm, alarm, alarm bell, alarm clock, alarm signal, alarum.
How do you use "whistle" in a sentence?
A whistle blew, and the boat slowly began to pull out of port.
How do you pronounce "whistle"?
Pronounced /ˈwɪs(ə)l/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English whistel, whistil, whistle, from Old English hwistle, from the verb (see below).
Etymology 2
From Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlan, hwistlian (“to whistle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną (“to make a hissing sound”). Cognate with Swedish vissla (“to whistle”), Icelandic hvísla (“to whisper”), Russian свистеть (svistetʹ, “to whistle”).