1. Produce a shrill, high-pitched sound by forcing air through the mouth
   "I whistle when I'm happy"
    
2. Make whistling sounds
   "He lay there, snoring and whistling"
    
3. Utter or express by whistling
   "She whistled a melody"
    
4. Give a signal by whistling
   "She whistled for her maid"
    
5. Make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound
   "the kettle was whistling";
   - sing
    
6. Move with, or as with, a whistling sound
   "The bullets whistled past him"
    
7. Move, send, or bring as if by whistling
   "Her optimism whistled away these worries"

1. A small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by blowing into it
   "The children played a tune on their tin whistles"
    
2. Acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound
   "The referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game"
    
3. The sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
   "The whistle of the kettle indicated the water was boiling";
   - whistling
    
4. The act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle
   "the whistle signalled the end of the game";
   - whistling
    
5. An inexpensive fipple flute
   "The street musician played a lively tune on his tin whistle";
   - pennywhistle, tin whistle

Derived forms: whistling, whistled, whistles

Type of: acoustic device, breath, communicate, displace, fipple flute, fipple pipe, go, intercommunicate, locomote, move, recorder, sign, signal, signaling [N. Amer], signaling device, signalise [Brit], signalize, signalling [Brit, Cdn], sound, travel, vertical flute, wind, wind instrument

Encyclopedia: Whistle