Word
whistling
US/ˈhwɪsɫɪŋ/
UK/wˈɪslɪŋ/
Definition
n. the high sound you make by blowing air through your lips, or the act of doing this.
n. the act of producing a shrill, breathy sound by forcing air through the lips or a device; functions as a gerund or a common noun.
Examples
“The loud whistling of the wind kept me awake all night.”
“The referee's sharp whistling signaled the end of the match and the players began to leave the field.”
“Despite the tension in the room, his casual whistling suggested a man who was either entirely unaware of the danger or remarkably confident in his escape plan.”
Examples
simple
“The loud whistling of the wind kept me awake all night.”
contextual
“The referee's sharp whistling signaled the end of the match and the players began to leave the field.”
complex
“Despite the tension in the room, his casual whistling suggested a man who was either entirely unaware of the danger or remarkably confident in his escape plan.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun to describe the continuous activity.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English whistlynge, equivalent to whistle + -ing.
From Middle English whistlinge, whystlynge, from Old English hwistlung, equivalent to whistle + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/whistling