whistling
(noun) the act of whistling a tune; “his cheerful whistling indicated that he enjoyed his work”
whistle, whistling
(noun) the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle; “the whistle signalled the end of the game”
whistle, whistling
(noun) the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture
Source: WordNet® 3.1
whistling
Present participle and gerund of whistle.
whistling (plural whistlings)
A shrill, breathy sound; a whistle.
• whitlings
Source: Wiktionary
Whis"tling,
Definition: a. & n. from Whistle, v. Whistling buoy. (Naut.) See under Buoy.
– Whistling coot (Zoöl.), the American black scoter.
– Whistling Dick. (Zoöl.) (a) An Australian shrike thrush (Colluricincla Selbii). (b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.] -- Whistling duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden-eye. (b) A tree duck.
– Whistling eagle (Zoöl.), a small Australian eagle (Haliastur sphenurus); -- called also whistling hawk, and little swamp eagle.
– Whistling plover. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden plover. (b) The black- bellied, or gray, plover.
– Whistling snipe (Zoöl.), the American woodcock.
– Whistling swan. (Zoöl.) (a) The European whooper swan; -- called also wild swan, and elk. (b) An American swan (Olor columbianus). See under Swan.
– Whistling teal (Zoöl.), a tree duck, as Dendrocygna awsuree of India.
– Whistling thrush. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of singing birds of the genus Myiophonus, native of Asia, Australia, and the East Indies. They are generally black, glossed with blue, and have a patch of bright blue on each shoulder. Their note is a loud and clear whistle. (b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]
Whis"tle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whistled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whistling.] Etym: [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan. hvisle, Icel. hvisla to whisper, and E. whisper. Whisper.]
1. To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds. The weary plowman leaves the task of day, And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way. Gay.
2. To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument, somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp, shrill tone.
3. To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air. The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar. Pope.
Whis"tle, v. t.
1. To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air.
2. To send, signal, or call by a whistle. He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up. Addison. To whistle off. (a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. "AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft." Burton. (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss. I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind To prey at fortune. Shak.
Note: "A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned." Nares.
Whis"tle, n. Etym: [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See Whistle, v. i.]
1. A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle. Might we but hear The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, . . . Or whistle from the lodge. Milton. The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and by that means lost his whistle. Spectator. They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dryden.
2. The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup.
3. An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips; as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam whistle (see Steam whistle, under Steam). The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. Pope.
4. The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of whistling. [Colloq.] So was her jolly whistle well ywet. Chaucer. Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles. Walton. Whistle duck (Zoöl.), the American golden-eye.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
19 November 2024
(noun) bushy plant of Old World salt marshes and sea beaches having prickly leaves; burned to produce a crude soda ash
According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.
