whistle

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈwɪs(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #2740

Meanings

1

verb
To make a high musical sound by forcing air through your lips or teeth.

He whistled a cheerful tune as he walked.
2

noun
A small device you blow into to make a loud, high sound.

The referee blew his whistle to stop the game.
3

noun
A high, shrill sound made by whistling or by air or steam.

We heard the whistle of the wind through the trees.
4

verb
To move quickly with a high rushing sound.

The bullets whistled past his head.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms whistledwhistleswhistling

From Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlan, hwistlian (“to whistle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną (“to make a hissing sound”). Cognate with Swedish vissla (“to whistle”), Icelandic hvísla (“to whisper”), Russian свистеть (svistetʹ, “to whistle”).

whistlen Middle English hwistlan Old English *hwistlōn Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōną Proto-Germanic

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Topics

Describing Qualities Senses & Perception

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# whistle

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪs(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 2740

## Meanings
1. To make a high musical sound by forcing air through your lips or teeth.
2. A small device you blow into to make a loud, high sound.
3. A high, shrill sound made by whistling or by air or steam.
4. To move quickly with a high rushing sound.

## Examples
- He whistled a cheerful tune as he walked.
- The referee blew his whistle to stop the game.
- We heard the whistle of the wind through the trees.
- The bullets whistled past his head.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: whistlen
- Root: hwistlan
- Root: *hwistlōn
- Root: *hwistlōną

## Etymology
From Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlan, hwistlian (“to whistle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną (“to make a hissing sound”). Cognate with Swedish vissla (“to whistle”), Icelandic hvísla (“to whisper”), Russian свистеть (svistetʹ, “to whistle”).

## AI Etymology
Whistle is from Middle English whistlen, from Old English hwistlan, hwistlian (“to whistle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōn, from Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną (“to make a hissing sound”). Cognate with Swedish vissla (“to whistle”), Icelandic hvísla (“to whisper”), Russian свистеть (svistetʹ, “to whistle”). Important historical forms include Middle English whistlen, Old English hwistlan, Proto-West Germanic *hwistlōn, and Proto-Germanic *hwistlōną. In present-day use, it can mean to make a high musical sound by forcing air through your lips or teeth, or a small device you blow into to make a loud, high sound.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Senses & Perception

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whistle

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