WHEEZE

wheeze

(noun) breathing with a husky or whistling sound

wheeze

(noun) (Briticism) a clever or amusing scheme or trick; “a clever wheeze probably succeeded in neutralizing the German espionage threat”

wheeze

(verb) breathe with difficulty

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Verb

wheeze (third-person singular simple present wheezes, present participle wheezing, simple past and past participle wheezed)

To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or whistling sound, as persons affected with asthma.

Noun

wheeze (plural wheezes)

A piping or whistling sound caused by difficult respiration.

An ordinary whisper exaggerated so as to produce the hoarse sound known as the "stage whisper"; a forcible whisper with some admixture of tone.

(British, Irish, slang) An ulterior scheme or plan

(slang) Something very humorous or laughable.

Synonyms

• See also joke

Source: Wiktionary

Wheeze, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wheezed; p. pr. & vb. n. Wheezing.] Etym: [OE. whesen, AS. hwsan (cf. Icel. hvæsa to hiss, Sw. hväsa, Dan. hvæse); akin to AS. hwsta a cough, D. hoest, G. husten, OHG. huosto, Icel. h, Lith. kosti to cough, Skr. k. sq. root43. Cf. Husky hoarse.]

Definition: To breathe hard, and with an audible piping or whistling sound, as persons affected with asthma. "Wheezing lungs." Shak.

Wheeze, n.

1. A piping or whistling sound caused by difficult respiration.

2. (Phon.)

Definition: An ordinary whisper exaggerated so as to produce the hoarse sound known as the "stage whisper." It is a forcible whisper with some admixture of tone.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition