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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Whistle \Whis"tle\, verb (used with an object)
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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Whistle \Whis"tle\, verb (used without an object) [imp. & p. p. {Whistled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Whistling}.] [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan. hvisle, Icel. hv[=i]sla to whisper, and E. whisper. [root]43. See {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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Whistle \Whis"tle\, noun [AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See {Whistle}, verb (used without an object)]
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} (Zo["o]l.), the American golden-eye.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
whistle
noun
1: the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture [syn: {whistling}]
2: the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or blowing a whistle; "the whistle signalled the end of the game" [syn: {whistling}]
3: acoustic device that forces air or steam against an edge or into a cavity and so produces a loud shrill sound
4: an inexpensive fipple flute [syn: {pennywhistle}, {tin whistle}]
verb
1: make whistling sounds; "He lay there, snoring and whistling"
2: move with, or as with, a whistling sound; "The bullets whistled past him"
3: utter or express by whistling; "She whistled a melody"
4: move, send, or bring as if by whistling; "Her optimism whistled away these worries"
5: make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound; "the kettle was singing"; "the bullet sang past his ear" [syn: {sing}]
6: give a signal by whistling; "She whistled for her maid"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
356 Moby Thesaurus words for "whistle": Angelus, Angelus bell, English horn, Klaxon, Mayday, Pandean pipe, SOS, air-raid alarm, alarm, alarm bell, alarm clock, alarm signal, alarum, alert, all clear, anthem, assibilation, aulos, bagpipe, ballad, basset horn, basset oboe, bassoon, battle cry, bay, beacon, beam, beep, bell, birdcall, birdies, blare, blast, blat, blinking light, blooping, blow, blow a horn, blow the horn, blurping, boiler factory, boiler room, bombard, boo, bray, bugle, bugle call, bull-roarer, burglar alarm, buzz, buzzer, cackle, call, caper, caracole, carillon, carol, catcall, caterwaul, caw, chant, chatter, cheep, cherry bomb, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, choir, chorus, chuck, clack, clacker, clap hands, clapper, clarinet, clarion, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, contrabassoon, contrafagotto, coo, cracker, creak, cricket, croak, cromorne, cronk, croon, crostarie, crow, cuckoo, dance, delight, descant, distortion, do-re-mi, doodle, double bassoon, double reed, double-tongue, drum, effervesce, effervescence, effervescing, exult, fanfare, feedback, fiery cross, fife, fipple flute, fire alarm, fire bell, fire flag, firecracker, five-minute gun, fizz, fizzle, fizzling, flageolet, flashing light, flourish of trumpets, flute, flutter, fluttering, fog bell, fog signal, foghorn, frication, frictional rustling, frisk, frolic, gabble, gaggle, gale warning, gambol, give the bird, give the raspberry, glory, glow, gobble, groan, growl, guggle, hautboy, heckelphone, hiss, hissing, honk, hoo, hoot, hooter, horn, hornpipe, howl, howling, hue and cry, hum, hurricane warning, hush, hushing, hymn, intonate, intone, joy, jubilate, keen, last post, laugh, licorice stick, lighthouse, lilt, lip, lisp, minstrel, moan, moose call, motorboating, murmur, musette, mutter, noisemaker, note of alarm, oaten reed, oboe, oboe da caccia, ocarina, occulting light, panpipe, peal, peep, penny-whistle, piccolo, pip, pipe, police whistle, pommer, psalm, quack, quaver, radiate cheer, rallying cry, rattle, rattlebox, rebel yell, recorder, reed, reed instrument, rejoice, reveille, revel, rhonchus, roar, roll, rollick, romp, roulade, rumble, sax, saxophone, scold, scratching, screak, scream, screech, serenade, shake, shawm, shredding, shriek, shrill, shush, shushing, sibilance, sibilate, sibilation, siffle, sigh, sigmatism, signal of distress, sing, sing in chorus, single reed, single-reed instrument, siren, siss, sissing, sizz, sizzle, sizzling, skip, skip for joy, skirl, skreigh, small-craft warning, smile, snapper, snarl, sneeze, sneezing, sniff, sniffle, snore, snort, snuff, snuffle, sob, sol-fa, solmizate, sonorophone, sough, sound, sound a tattoo, sound taps, sparkle, spit, splutter, sputter, squash, squawk, squeak, squeal, squeals, squelch, squish, static, steam whistle, sternutation, stertor, still alarm, storm cone, storm flag, storm warning, summons, sweet potato, swish, syrinx, tabor pipe, tantara, tantarara, taps, tarantara, tattoo, tenoroon, ticktack, tin-whistle, tocsin, tongue, toot, tootle, tremolo, trill, triple-tongue, troll, trumpet, trumpet blast, trumpet call, tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, two-minute gun, ululate, ululation, upside-down flag, vocalize, wail, war cry, warble, wheeze, whine, whish, whisper, whistle at, whistles, whistling, white noise, whiz, whizgig, whizzer, whoosh, wind, wind the horn, woods, woodwind, woodwind choir, woodwind instrument, woomping, wow, wowwows, wrawl, yammer, yodel, zip
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