whis·tle
ˈ(h)wi-səl 
often attributive
1
a
: a small wind instrument in which sound is produced by the forcible passage of breath through a slit in a short tube
a police whistle
b
: a device through which air or steam is forced into a cavity or against a thin edge to produce a loud sound
a factory whistle
2
a
: a shrill clear sound produced by forcing breath out or air in through the puckered lips
b
: the sound produced by a whistle
c
: a signal given by or as if by whistling
3
: a sound that resembles a whistle
especially
: a shrill clear note of or as if of a bird
whistled; whistling
ˈ(h)wi-s(ə-)liŋ
1
a
: to utter a shrill clear sound by blowing or drawing air through the puckered lips
b
: to utter a shrill note or call resembling a whistle
c
: to make a shrill clear sound especially by rapid movement
the wind whistled
d
: to blow or sound a whistle
2
a
: to give a signal or issue an order or summons by or as if by whistling
b
: to make a demand without result
he did a sloppy job, so he can whistle for his money
1
a
: to send, bring, signal, or call by or as if by whistling
b
: to charge (someone, such as a basketball or hockey player) with an infraction
2
: to produce, utter, or express by whistling
whistle a tune
Examples of whistle in a Sentence
Noun
The policeman blew his whistle.
We could hear the train's whistle.
We could hear the low whistle of the wind through the trees.
the whistle of the tea kettle
Verb
He was whistling as he walked down the street.
He whistled for a cab.
He whistled a happy tune.
The teakettle started to whistle.
A bullet whistled past him.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
By the time the final whistle sounded, an aching Pregnon was asked to brandish the sword and lead the USC band, an honor often bestowed upon the game’s most critical player.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
All five of Golden State’s challenges were on fouls whistled on Green.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whistle 
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show current usage.
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Noun
In 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, blew the whistle on the company’s role in spreading disinformation and the increase in racial hatred.
—Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
By the time the final whistle sounded, an aching Pregnon was asked to brandish the sword and lead the USC band, an honor often bestowed upon the game’s most critical player.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
That same year, Cornell released Merlin Sound ID, which was originally trained on around two hundred and fifty hours of bird sounds, as well as on background noises (whistling wind, passing cars), all manually annotated by experts.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
All five of Golden State’s challenges were on fouls whistled on Green.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for whistle
Dictionary Entries Near whistle
Cite this Entry
“Whistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whistle. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whistle
1 of 2 noun
whis·tle
ˈhwis-əl
ˈwis-
1
: a device making a shrill sound
tin whistle
steam whistle
2
a
: a shrill clear sound made by forcing air through puckered lips
b
: a sound or signal produced by a whistle or as if by whistling
whistle
2 of 2 verb
whistled; whistling
ˈhwis-(ə-)liŋ
ˈwis-
1
: to make a whistle through puckered lips
2
: to move, pass, or go with a shrill sound
an arrow whistled by me
3
: to blow or sound a whistle
the teakettle whistled
4
: to utter by whistling
whistle a tune
whistler
noun
ˈhwis-(ə-)lər
ˈwis-
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