whisper

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The act of speaking in a quiet voice, especially without vibration of the vocal cords; the sound thus produced.

   I spoke in a near whisper.

2. 2
   noun

   A rumor.

   There are whispers of rebellion all around.

3. 3
   noun

   A faint trace or hint (of something).

   The soup had just a whisper of basil.

4. 4
   noun

   A private message to an individual in a chat room.

   The invisibility of private interactions in the form of whispers resolved an ethical concern in the research but reduced our ability to gauge the volume of interaction […]

5. 5
   noun

   A projection of intention and influence caused by sending thoughts or desires outward through softly-spoken words or subtle mental or energetic means.

   "Witches feel that anyone who is against them has to be destroyed. The method is to give the victim what we call a whispering. It is similar to the aborigine ceremony in Australia of singing someone to death. The witches gather in a circle and focus their hate on the persons they have in mind. These vibrations from their minds and voices carry whispers to the one who they are working against."

6. 6
   verb

   To speak softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.

   I can hear them whisper as we pass by It's a bad sign, bad sign

7. 7
   verb

   To say (something) softly or under one's breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter (something) without sonant breath, without that vibration of the vocal cords which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound.

   Whether he whispered sweet nothings to her in Stengelese is not known, but he did call her "the best catch I ever made in my career."

8. 8
   verb

   To mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.

   They might buzz and whisper it one to another.

Etymology

From Middle English whisperen, from Old English hwisprian (“to mutter, murmur, whisper”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwisprōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwisprōną (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweys-, *ḱwey- (“to hiss, whistle, whisper”). Cognate with Dutch wisperen (“to whisper”), German wispern (“to mumble, whisper”). Related also to Danish hviske (“to whisper”), Icelandic hvískra (“to whisper”), Norwegian Bokmål hviske, kviskre (“to whisper”), Norwegian Nynorsk kviskre, kviskra (“to whisper”), Swedish viska (“to whisper”). More at English whistle.