wheeze

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ʍiːz/ See IPA manual

Freq #40562

Meanings

1

verb
To breathe with difficulty, making a whistling or rasping sound.

The old dog began to wheeze after climbing the stairs.
2

noun
A whistling or rasping sound made when breathing with difficulty.

The doctor heard a faint wheeze in the patient's chest.
3

noun
A clever or amusing scheme or trick (British, informal).

Selling lemonade to the queue was a clever little wheeze.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms wheezedwheezeswheezing

Simplified etymology

Wheeze entered English in the late Middle English period and probably comes from Old Norse hvæsa, “to hiss.”

Etymology

From Middle English whesen, perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa (“to hiss”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to pant”).

whesen Middle English hvæsa Old Norse *ḱwes- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Register & Style

External links

# wheeze

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ʍiːz/
**Frequency rank:** 40562

## Meanings
1. To breathe with difficulty, making a whistling or rasping sound.
2. A whistling or rasping sound made when breathing with difficulty.
3. A clever or amusing scheme or trick (British, informal).

## Examples
- The old dog began to wheeze after climbing the stairs.
- The doctor heard a faint wheeze in the patient's chest.
- Selling lemonade to the queue was a clever little wheeze.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: whesen
- Root: hvæsa
- Root: *ḱwes-

## Etymology
From Middle English whesen, perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa (“to hiss”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to pant”).

## AI Etymology
Wheeze is from Middle English whesen, perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa (“to hiss”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to pant”). Important recorded forms include whesen (Middle English), hvæsa (Old Norse), and *ḱwes- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include to breathe with difficulty, making a whistling or rasping sound, a whistling or rasping sound made when breathing with difficulty, and a clever or amusing scheme or trick (British, informal).

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Register & Style

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