whisper

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To speak very quietly using your breath, so only someone close can hear.

   She leaned over to whisper a secret in my ear.

2. 2
   noun

   A very quiet way of speaking, or the soft sound it makes.

   He answered in a whisper so the baby wouldn't wake.

3. 3
   noun

   A rumour or piece of unconfirmed news.

   There are whispers that the company may close.

4. 4
   noun

   A faint trace or small hint of something.

   The soup had just a whisper of garlic.

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.

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