whistle

whistle
    n 1: the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam
         coming out of a small aperture [syn: {whistle},
         {whistling}]
    2: the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or
       blowing a whistle; "the whistle signalled the end of the
       game" [syn: {whistle}, {whistling}]
    3: a small wind instrument that produces a whistling sound by
       blowing into it
    4: acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or
       into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound
    5: an inexpensive fipple flute [syn: {pennywhistle}, {tin
       whistle}, {whistle}]
    v 1: make whistling sounds; "He lay there, snoring and
         whistling"
    2: move with, or as with, a whistling sound; "The bullets
       whistled past him"
    3: utter or express by whistling; "She whistled a melody"
    4: move, send, or bring as if by whistling; "Her optimism
       whistled away these worries"
    5: make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound; "the kettle was
       singing"; "the bullet sang past his ear" [syn: {whistle},
       {sing}]
    6: give a signal by whistling; "She whistled for her maid"
    

Whistle \Whis"tle\, v. t.
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a
      tune or an air.
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   2. To send, signal, or call by a whistle.
      [1913 Webster]

            He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he
            had whistled him up.                  --Addison.
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   {To whistle off}.
      (a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. "AS a
          long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the
          fist, mounts aloft." --Burton.
      (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to
          dismiss.
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                I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind
                To prey at fortune.               --Shak.
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   Note: "A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this
         way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with
         or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned."
         --Nares.
         [1913 Webster]
    

Whistle \Whis"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whistled}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Whistling}.] [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan.
   hvisle, Icel. hv[imac]sla to whisper, and E. whisper.
   [root]43. See {Whisper}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by
      forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by
      contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or
      series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.
      [1913 Webster]

            The weary plowman leaves the task of day,
            And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way. --Gay.
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   2. To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument,
      somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp,
      shrill tone.
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   3. To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill
      sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.
      [1913 Webster]

            The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar.
                                                  --Pope.
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Whistle \Whis"tle\, n. [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See
   {Whistle}, v. i.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by
      forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or
      through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the
      sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill
      note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a
      boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle.
      [1913 Webster]

            Might we but hear
            The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, .
            . .
            Or whistle from the lodge.            --Milton.
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            The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and
            by that means lost his whistle.       --Spectator.
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            They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   2. The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or
      through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like,
      passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much
      used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping
      through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of
      a metallic bell or cup.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity,
      or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like
      that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips;
      as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam
      whistle (see {Steam whistle}, under {Steam}).
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            The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. --Pope.
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   4. The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of
      whistling. [Colloq.]
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            So was her jolly whistle well ywet.   --Chaucer.
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            Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles.
                                                  --Walton.
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   {Whistle duck} (Zool.), the American golden-eye.
      [1913 Webster]
    

356 Moby Thesaurus words for "whistle":
      Angelus, Angelus bell, English horn, Klaxon, Mayday, Pandean pipe,
      SOS, air-raid alarm, alarm, alarm bell, alarm clock, alarm signal,
      alarum, alert, all clear, anthem, assibilation, aulos, bagpipe,
      ballad, basset horn, basset oboe, bassoon, battle cry, bay, beacon,
      beam, beep, bell, birdcall, birdies, blare, blast, blat,
      blinking light, blooping, blow, blow a horn, blow the horn,
      blurping, boiler factory, boiler room, bombard, boo, bray, bugle,
      bugle call, bull-roarer, burglar alarm, buzz, buzzer, cackle, call,
      caper, caracole, carillon, carol, catcall, caterwaul, caw, chant,
      chatter, cheep, cherry bomb, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter,
      choir, chorus, chuck, clack, clacker, clap hands, clapper,
      clarinet, clarion, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, contrabassoon,
      contrafagotto, coo, cracker, creak, cricket, croak, cromorne,
      cronk, croon, crostarie, crow, cuckoo, dance, delight, descant,
      distortion, do-re-mi, doodle, double bassoon, double reed,
      double-tongue, drum, effervesce, effervescence, effervescing,
      exult, fanfare, feedback, fiery cross, fife, fipple flute,
      fire alarm, fire bell, fire flag, firecracker, five-minute gun,
      fizz, fizzle, fizzling, flageolet, flashing light,
      flourish of trumpets, flute, flutter, fluttering, fog bell,
      fog signal, foghorn, frication, frictional rustling, frisk, frolic,
      gabble, gaggle, gale warning, gambol, give the bird,
      give the raspberry, glory, glow, gobble, groan, growl, guggle,
      hautboy, heckelphone, hiss, hissing, honk, hoo, hoot, hooter, horn,
      hornpipe, howl, howling, hue and cry, hum, hurricane warning, hush,
      hushing, hymn, intonate, intone, joy, jubilate, keen, last post,
      laugh, licorice stick, lighthouse, lilt, lip, lisp, minstrel, moan,
      moose call, motorboating, murmur, musette, mutter, noisemaker,
      note of alarm, oaten reed, oboe, oboe da caccia, ocarina,
      occulting light, panpipe, peal, peep, penny-whistle, piccolo, pip,
      pipe, police whistle, pommer, psalm, quack, quaver, radiate cheer,
      rallying cry, rattle, rattlebox, rebel yell, recorder, reed,
      reed instrument, rejoice, reveille, revel, rhonchus, roar, roll,
      rollick, romp, roulade, rumble, sax, saxophone, scold, scratching,
      screak, scream, screech, serenade, shake, shawm, shredding, shriek,
      shrill, shush, shushing, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle,
      sigh, sigmatism, signal of distress, sing, sing in chorus,
      single reed, single-reed instrument, siren, siss, sissing, sizz,
      sizzle, sizzling, skip, skip for joy, skirl, skreigh,
      small-craft warning, smile, snapper, snarl, sneeze, sneezing,
      sniff, sniffle, snore, snort, snuff, snuffle, sob, sol-fa,
      solmizate, sonorophone, sough, sound, sound a tattoo, sound taps,
      sparkle, spit, splutter, sputter, squash, squawk, squeak, squeal,
      squeals, squelch, squish, static, steam whistle, sternutation,
      stertor, still alarm, storm cone, storm flag, storm warning,
      summons, sweet potato, swish, syrinx, tabor pipe, tantara,
      tantarara, taps, tarantara, tattoo, tenoroon, ticktack,
      tin-whistle, tocsin, tongue, toot, tootle, tremolo, trill,
      triple-tongue, troll, trumpet, trumpet blast, trumpet call,
      tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, two-minute gun, ululate,
      ululation, upside-down flag, vocalize, wail, war cry, warble,
      wheeze, whine, whish, whisper, whistle at, whistles, whistling,
      white noise, whiz, whizgig, whizzer, whoosh, wind, wind the horn,
      woods, woodwind, woodwind choir, woodwind instrument, woomping,
      wow, wowwows, wrawl, yammer, yodel, zip