whistle
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a small tool that you blow into to make a loud, high sound.
n.a small instrument designed to produce a shrill, high-pitched sound when air or steam is forced through it.
Simple“The referee blew his whistle to stop the game after a foul.”
In context“The coach kept a silver whistle around his neck to signal the start of each training drill across the noisy field.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.the high-pitched sound made by blowing air through your lips or a tool.
n.a shrill, high-frequency sound produced by whistling or by a mechanical device.
Simple“He gave a long, low whistle when he saw the expensive new car.”
In context“The sharp whistle of the kettle interrupted their conversation, signaling that the water had finally reached a boil.”
- 03 A2 Elementary
v.to make a high sound by blowing air through your lips.
v.to produce a shrill, musical, or signaling sound by forcing breath through a small orifice formed by the lips.
Simple“She began to whistle a happy tune while she worked in the garden.”
In context“He would often whistle absentmindedly while walking, a habit that his colleagues found both charming and slightly distracting during quiet mornings.”
Synonymspipetrill - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move very fast through the air with a high-pitched noise.
v.to move rapidly through the air or a narrow opening while producing a characteristic high-pitched sound.
Simple“The wind started to whistle through the gaps in the old windows.”
In context“The winter gale began to whistle through the mountain pass, making a haunting sound that echoed against the frozen rock faces.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.a set of matching clothes, like a jacket and trousers.
n.a suit of clothes; derived from the Cockney rhyming slang 'whistle and flute'.
Simple“He wore his best whistle to the wedding.”
In context“He turned up to the interview in a sharp new whistle, hoping the professional appearance would compensate for his lack of experience.”
Teacher's tipThis is specific to London Cockney rhyming slang; most English speakers outside the UK will not understand it.
From Middle English whistel, whistil, whistle, from Old English hwistle, from the verb (see below).
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.