whistlingn.

/ˈhwɪs(ə)lɪŋ/

Forms: see whistle v.; also Middle English Scottish quhestlyng, 1500s Scottish quhisling, 1600s whisling.

Etymology: Old English (h)wistlung , < (h)wistlian, whistle v.: see -ing suffix¹.

The action of whistle v., in various senses.

a. The action of producing a shrill note or notes by forcing the breath through the lips; the utterance of a tune, etc. in this way; †hissing: see whistle v. 1, 5.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [noun]

whistlingc897

hissinga1425

hiss1513

whissing1555

hizzing1582

sibilation1626

afflatus1753

siss1859

shish1881

sizzing1890

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > other vocal sounds > [noun] > whistling

whistlingc897

whistle1447

whew1513

whewing?1590

society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > [noun] > whistling

whistlingc897

whistle1447

c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care xxiii. 173 Sua sua mid liðre wisðlunga mon hors gestilleð, sua eac mid ð ære illcan wistlunga mon mæg hund astyrigean.

c1100 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 162/44 Sibilatio, hwistlung.

1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 456 Foules þat..folwed his whistellynge.

1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) 2 Chron. xxix. 8 He toke hem in to distourblynge, and into deth, and in to whistlyng [L. sibilum].

1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum xviii. xiv. (Bodl.) lf. 255 b/2 An oxe heerde..pleseþ ham [sc. the oxen] wiþ whistelinge and wiþ songe.

1577 J. Grange Golden Aphroditis sig. Kiij^v Vnmanned Haukes forsake the lure, all whistlyng brings them not to fiste.

1663 A. Cowley Agric. in Ess. in Verse & Prose in Wks. (1674) 106 Some swell up their sleight Sails with pop'lar fame, Charm'd with the foolish whistlings of a Name.

1787 F. Grose Superstitions 66 in Provinc. Gloss. Whistling at sea is supposed to cause an increase of wind, if not a storm.

1845 R. Ford Hand-bk. Travellers in Spain I. i. 45 The same absence of thought which is shown in England by whistling is displayed in Spain by singing.

1892 R. Kipling Lett. of Trav. (1920) 65 He continued an interrupted whistling of ‘I owe ten dollars to O'Grady’.

b. The action of sounding a whistle or pipe; piping.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > signalling > audible signalling > signalling with other sounding instruments > [noun] > sounding of whistle

whistlingc950

whistle1447

society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing wind instrument > [noun] > playing pipe or whistle

whistlingc950

pipingc1300

whistle1447

scrannel-piping1834

c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xv. 25 Wæs ða sunu his ældra on lond & miððy gecuome & geneolecde to huse geherde huislung [L. simphoniam] & þæt song.

1576 R. Curteys Two Serm. sig. Biv^v The Shephearde needeth a Whistle, and..a Dog and an hooke, that suche Sheep as wil not come in with whistling may be either baited in with a Dogge, or drawen in with a Hook.

1679 I. Bargrave tr. F. Micanzio Exact Discov. Myst. Iniquity 14 The Master of a Galley..with once whistling makes all the Galley Slaves fall to their Oars.

1884 Manch. Examiner 6 Oct. 5/6 The occasional whistling of an engine.

c. In phrases alluding to the act of whistling by way of a call or summons, as for the whistling (= quite easily, without any trouble), worth the whistling.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > easy, easily, or without difficulty [phrase]

with a wet finger1542

for the whistling1546

like a bird1825

as easy (or simple) as falling (or rolling) off a log1839

without tears1857

like a dream1882

as easy as winking1907

the world > action or operation > advantage > [phrase] > worthwhile

whilea1387

worth the whistling1546

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. xi. sig. Eiii It is..a poore dogge. that is not worth the whistlyng.

1610 J. Robinson Justif. Separation from Church of Eng. 152 In England a man may haue a Priest for the whisteling.

1631 W. Cornwallis Ess. (ed. 2) ii. lii. 334 Magnanimitie, state, absolutenes, are qualities worth the whistling.

1655 in E. Nicholas Nicholas Papers (1892) II. 287 He may be had for whistlinge.

d. In figurative phrase whistling in the dark: see whistle v. 9b.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > courage > moral courage > making bold appearance > [noun] > making pretence of bravery

whistling in the dark1939

1939 Time 18 Dec. 21/3 Since precious little German trade can be sailed, submarined or flown overseas, writing about ‘new possibilities’..sounded like official whistling in the dark.

1968 J. M. White Nightclimber xix. 132 He, like me, hated and feared being carried in this ship, for all his whistling in the dark.

1977 Listener 10 Feb. 169/3 Lenin and his wife..were not above a little whistling in the dark to keep up their spirits.

a. The utterance of a clear shrill note or notes, as the natural call of a bird or other animal; †also formerly, the hissing of serpents.In quots. 1487² apparently an error for questing = baying (of dogs).

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > by noises > voice or sound made by animal > [noun] > whistle or chirp > whistling or chirping

whistlingc950

cheepinga1585

fritiniency1646

pipping1750

yeeping1945

the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Ophidia (snakes) > [noun] > hissing

whistlinga1400

c950 Prose Life Guthlac (1909) viii. 139 Mislice fugela hwistlunge.

a1400 K. Alis. (Laud) 5247 Grete Addren comen flynge And scorpions wiþ vile whistlynge.

1426 J. Lydgate tr. G. de Guileville Pilgrimage Life Man 14140 Whan I here ther..whystlynges, For verray Ioy I hoppe and daunce.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 94 A hundis quhestlyng.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 87 He herd..A hundis quhistlyng [1616 Hart whissilling; 1489 Adv. questionyng] apon fer.

1743 A. Pope Dunciad (rev. ed.) iii. 156 Each Cygnet sweet..Whose tuneful whistling makes the waters pass.

1847 F. W. L. Leichhardt Jrnl. Overland Exped. Austral. xiii. 461 The leatherhead with its constantly changing call and whistling.

1855 C. E. Norton Let. to Lowell 6 Apr. There is scarcely a sound but the whistling of the frogs.

b. A form of broken wind in horses: cf. whistler n. 2d.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of horses > [noun] > respiratory disorders

wind?1523

pursick1566

pursickness1610

roaring1813

heaves1828

broken wind1831

thick wind1831

whistling1856

1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports ii. iii. ii. §1. 403 Roaring, whistling, and all defects of the wind, are easily discovered on the first smart gallop.

3. The production of any shrill sound of this kind, as by the wind, a missile, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [noun] > whistle

whew1513

whistling1513

whiplinga1529

whist1579

whewing?1590

siffling1603

sifflement1607

whistlea1648

whutea1663

whiff1712

whoop1840

whiffle1972

1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. ii. 6 Quhair Eolus..the wyndis lowde quhisling..by his power refrenis.

1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 v. i. 5 The Southren winde..by his hollow whistling in the leaues Foretels a tempest.

1608 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 107 Seas angry noise, lowd bellowing of the winde,..the tackles whisteling.

1609 Bible (Douay) I. 1 Kings xix. 12 And after the fire a wistling of a gentle winde.

1686 J. Scott Christian Life: Pt. II II. vii. 524 We regard what he saith no more than we do the whistling of the Wind.

1801 J. Strutt Glig-gamena Angel-ðeod ii. i. 58 The arrows made a loud whistling in their flight.

1841 J. F. Cooper Deerslayer I. iii. 52 At the report of the rifle, and the whistling of the bullet.

1844 W. Dufton Nature & Treatm. Deafness 77 If there is mucus, then various kinds of gurgling and whistling will be evident.

1895 J. G. Millais Breath from Veldt x. 229 Swishing their white tails..with such violence that the whistling caused by this movement can be heard nearly a quarter of a mile away.

Compounds

C1. General attributive.

whistling match n.

ΚΠ

1837 D. Walker Games & Sports 344 Whistling Match. A match of this kind is recorded in a paper of Addison's.

whistling pipe n.

ΚΠ

1586 Praise of Musicke i. 18 The whistling pipes which were made, for the most part, of reedes.

C2.

whistling-post n. a post beside a railway-line, on passing which the engine-whistle is sounded.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > post on passing which whistle is sounded

whistling-post1898

1898 H. E. Hamblen Gen. Manager's Story x. 140 I managed to see most of the whistling-posts,..and..I blew the crossing signal anyway.

whistling-shop n. slang a room in a prison in which spirits were secretly sold without a licence (a signal being given by whistling to escape detection).

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > a room in prison > in which alcohol was sold

whistling-shop1796

society > trade and finance > trading place > place where retail transactions made > [noun] > shop > shop selling liquor > unlicensed

shebeenc1787

whistling-shop1796

1796 Grose's Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 3) Whistling shop, rooms in the King's Bench prison where drams are privately sold.

1821 W. T. Moncrieff Tom & Jerry iii. v Scene V.—Interior of Whistling Shop.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xliv. 489 A whistling-shop, Sir, is where they sell spirits.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

whistlingadj.

Forms: see whistle v.; also 1500s whislyng.

Etymology: < whistle v. + -ing suffix².Previous versions of the OED give the stress as: ˈwhistling.

That whistles, in various senses.

a. Of inanimate things: see whistle v. 3. whistling arrow, a toy arrow formerly in use, with a hollow head so constructed as to make a whistling sound in flying. whistling buoy, a buoy fitted with a whistle which is automatically sounded by the movement of the waves. whistling kettle, a kettle fitted with a device that emits a whistle as the water boils.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound) > making whistling sound

whistlingc1405

whutingc1600

whiffling1834

siffling1866

whistly1907

society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > toy weapons > [noun]

poop1489

pellet1553

trunk1553

elder-gun1600

popgun1649

spitter1688

pluff1695

whistling arrowa1718

pea-shooter1782

pea gun1812

detonating ball1814

pea-blower1821

pen-gun1821

pipegun1828

torpedo1831

spring gun1837

putty blower1861

tweaker1862

pluffera1866

bean-shooter1890

putty shooter1896

water pistol1897

stink bomb1915

cap-pistol1920

cap-gun1931

laser gun1961

society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > buoys, marks, or lighthouses > [noun] > buoy > other types of buoy

can-buoy1626

mast-buoy1675

nun buoy1703

breakwater1769

under-buoy1793

light buoy1822

bell-buoy1838

spar-buoy1860

gas buoy1865

whistling buoy1880

puppy1890

singing-buoy1894

gas float1895

the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > equipment for food preparation > cooking vessel or pot > [noun] > cauldron or kettle > types of

fish-kettle1681

braising-kettle1825

whistling kettle1928–9

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 170 Men myghte his brydel heere Gyngle in a whistlynge wynd.

a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) iv. sig. Civ^v The whystelyng ayre among the braunches rores.

a1593 C. Marlowe tr. Lucan First Bk. (1600) i. 240 Shrill cornets, whistling fifes.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream ii. i. 86 To daunce our ringlets to the whistling winde.

1668 J. Flavell Saint Indeed 71 To a guilty Conscience, the whistling leaves are Drums and Trumpets.

a1718 M. Prior Henry & Emma 333 Winged Deaths in whistling Arrows fly.

1785 W. Cowper Task vi. 941 The..haughty world..sweeps him with her whistling silks.

1785 W. Cowper Task iii. 802 The whistling ball Sent through the trav'ller's temples!

1842 Ld. Tennyson Sir Galahad v, in Poems (new ed.) II. 177 Blessed forms in whistling storms Fly o'er waste fens.

1880 Cassell's Family Mag. VI. 124/2 The Courtenay automatic whistling buoy.

1891 F. W. Farrar Darkness & Dawn I. xviii. 156 The whistling strokes of the scourge.

1897 R. Kipling Captains Courageous viii The We're Here crawled in on half-flood, and the whistling-buoy moaned and mourned behind her.

1928–9 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 173/4 The Whistling kettle. When the water boils the kettle whistles.

1961 J. Stroud Touch & Go iv. 43 The whistling kettle..burst into an unnerving shriek.

1974 R. Ingham Yoris xx. 63 She put a small whistling kettle on the gas ring.

b. transferred of a time or place: Characterized by or full of whistling.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound) > characterized by whistling

whistling1623

1623 J. Wodroephe Spared Houres Souldier 475/2 A Whistling March, that makes the Plough Man blithe.

1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 167 Our..journey..through whistling dales; in..which we were..weather-beaten with a raging storme.

1806 R. Forsyth Beauties Scotl. III. 227 The English Chapel [in Glasgow]..the common people,..on account of its organ, stigmatize it with the contemptuous epithet of the whistling kirk.

c. Military. Designating a missile which makes a whistling sound in flight, or a gun from which such missiles are fired. Frequently in the nicknames of these.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > missile > ammunition for firearms > [adjective] > types of bullet or shell

armour-piercinga1686

rifled1797

high-velocity1854

smooth-bore1859

subcalibre1863

whistling1864

full-metal-jacketed1896

full-metal-jacket1898

pipsqueak1916

1864 J. Brobst Let. 28 May in M. B. Roth Well, Mary: Civil War Lett. Wisconsin Volunteer (1960) iv. 67 We dare not show our heads unless we want them to send one of their whistling jimmies at us.

1902 J. Milne Epist. Atkins iv. 67 At Ladysmith ‘Sighing Sarah’ and ‘Whistling Willie’ proclaim their own shots from Umbalwana.

1926 T. E. Lawrence Seven Pillars (subscribers' ed.) xcv. 507 The aeroplanes circled round in their cold-blooded way, to drop whistling bombs into its trenches.

1948 W. White Man called White 256 Three heavy German guns which the Americans nicknamed ‘The Anzio Express’ and ‘Whistling Willies’.

a. Of a sound: Of the nature of a whistle; such as is produced by a whistle or shrill pipe.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound)

whistling1662

1662 R. Boyle Examen Mr. T. Hobbs iii. 16 The external Air rushing in with a whistling noise at the..Orifice.

1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. 363 The u Gallicum, or whistling u,..cannot be denied to be a distinct simple vowel.

1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados iv. 119 The Wind, blowing into the Cavities of these Husks, makes a very sonorous whistling Noise.

1831 W. Scott Count Robert ii, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. I. 49 They..beheld the barbarian..brandish high his formidable weapon, the whistling sound of which made the old arch ring.

1851 W. H. Walshe Dis. Lungs & Heart 97 Sibilant rhonchus..two varieties, the short and the prolonged, or the clicking and the whistling.

b. whistling atmospheric n. = whistler n. 3b.

ΚΠ

1953 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 246 128 The main facts of observation concerning the whistling atmospherics..are summarized above.

1959 R. D. Davies & H. P. Palmer Radio Stud. Universe ix. 174 Storey at Cambridge in 1952..was investigating a phenomenon known as whistling atmospherics or simply ‘whistlers’ which are groups of radio waves at audio frequencies (15 kc/s).

1963 G. M. B. Dobson Exploring Atmosphere viii. 141 It is also possible to get some information about the ionization at very great heights above the earth from the curious phenomenon of ‘whistlers’ or ‘whistling atmospherics’.

a. Of a person: see whistle v. 1, 4.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > [adjective] > whistling

whistling1631

1631 B. Jonson New Inne i. i. 23 I must ha'..whistling boyes to bring my haruest home.

1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 33 A crooning Cow, a crowing Hen, and a whistling Maid boded never luck to a House.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xii. 55 Jackey..was the most thoughtless, whistling, sauntering Fellow.

1820 W. Wordsworth Sonnets dedicated to Liberty (new ed.) i. viii, in Misc. Poems III. 212 Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough Within thy hearing.

1850 Notes & Queries 1st Ser. 2 164/1 A whistling woman and a crowing hen Is neither fit for God nor men.

b. That keeps a ‘whistling-shop’ (see whistling-shop n. at whistling n. Compounds 2).

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > selling > selling or sale of specific things > [adjective] > selling liquor

tippling?a1500

whistling1837

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xliv. 490 ‘Any more?’ said the whistling gentleman.

Compounds

C1. Of a bird or other animal: see whistle v. 2. Chiefly as a descriptive epithet of particular species.

whistling dick n. a name for various species of thrush, esp. of the Australian genus Colluricincla.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > family Muscicapidae (thrushes, etc.) > [noun] > subfamily Pachycephalinae > genus Colluricincla or shrike thrush

whistling dick1848

shrike-thrush1898

1848 J. Gould Birds Austral. II. pl. 77 Colluricincla Selbii,..Whistling Dick, of the Colonists of Van Diemen's Land.

whistling duck n. various species of duck, as the golden-eye and the widgeon (cf. whistler n. 2a).

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > member of genus Anas (miscellaneous) > anas penelope (Eurasian widgeon)

wigeon1508

winder1542

atteal1600

smeath1622

smee1668

whistling duck1699

whima1705

white-face1709

poacher1888

the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > genus Bucephala > bucephala clangula (golden-eye)

cur1621

goldeneye1622

shelden1674

whistling duck1699

four-eyes1755

garrot1829

jingler1829

great-head1843

musselcracker1845

whistle-wing1872

ironhead1888

whiffler1888

1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. ii. ii. 69 Whistling Ducks are somewhat less than our Common Duck... In flying, their Wings make a pretty sort of loud whistling Noise.

1863 H. W. Bates Naturalist on River Amazons I. vii. 273 Flocks of whistling ducks (Anas autumnalis), parrots, and..macaws..flew over.

Categories »

whistling eagle n.

whistling field bird n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover)

sea plover1634

whistling plover1668

strand plover1772

squatarole1819

whistling field bird1819

grey plover1838

whistling field plover1872

Swiss plover1874

pilot1880

1819 J. F. Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. ii. 467 [The Alwargrim Plover] is called in America the Large Whistling Field Bird, from its note, which is very shrill.

whistling field plover n. the grey plover ( Squatarola helvetica).

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover)

sea plover1634

whistling plover1668

strand plover1772

squatarole1819

whistling field bird1819

grey plover1838

whistling field plover1872

Swiss plover1874

pilot1880

1872 E. Coues Key to N. Amer. Birds 243 Whistling Field Plover. Bull-head. Ox-eye.

whistling fish n. = whistle-fish n. at whistle n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > motella vulgaris (three-bearded rockling)

rockling1602

weasel-linga1682

sea-loach1686

whistle-fish1686

whistling fish1766

weasel-fish1773

whistler1864

the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > rhinonemus cimbrius (four-bearded rockling)

rockling1602

weasel-linga1682

sea-loach1686

whistle-fish1686

whistling fish1766

weasel-fish1773

whistler1864

the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > ciliata mustela (five-bearded rockling)

rockling1602

weasel-linga1682

sea-loach1686

whistle-fish1686

whistling fish1766

weasel-fish1773

whistler1864

1766 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. i. 36 The seals..are seen searching for their prey near shore; where the whistling fish, wraws, and polacks resort.

Categories »

whistling hawk n. a small eagle or large hawk ( Haliastur sphenurus) of Australia and New Caledonia.

Categories »

whistling marmot n. = whistler n. 2b.

whistling moth n. (see quot.).

ΚΠ

1907 Nature 19 Sept. 516/1 The ‘whistling (stridulating) moths’ of the genus Hecatesia..emit sounds like the call of a Cicada.

whistling plover n. (a) the European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria; (b) the grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola (Swainson); (c) the stone curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > genus Burhinus (thick-knees) > burhinus oedicnemus (stone curlew)

caladriea1425

whistling plover1668

stone curlew1678

stone plover1678

great plovera1705

Norfolk plover1766

stone-snipe1785

the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover)

sea plover1634

whistling plover1668

strand plover1772

squatarole1819

whistling field bird1819

grey plover1838

whistling field plover1872

Swiss plover1874

pilot1880

the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis dominica (American golden plover)

green plover1550

whistling plover1668

golden plover1766

frost bird1803

greenback1843

prairie plover1851

prairie snipe1851

prairie pigeon1874

kolea1888

squealer1888

1668 W. Charleton Onomasticon Zoicon 109 Pluvialis Flavovirescens, the green Plover, & whistling Plover.

1682 S. Wilson Acct. Province Carolina 12 On the grassy plaines the whistling Plover and Cranes.

1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 158 We..found..a great many of the Whistling Plover the same with Ours.

whistling swan n. (see swan n. 1a).

ΚΠ

1785 T. Pennant Arctic Zool. II. ii. 542 The Whistling Swan carries its neck quite erect.

1803 W. Bingley Animal Biogr. II. 504 The Whistling or Wild Swan..is an inhabitant of the northern regions.

1896 R. B. Sharpe Hand-bk. Birds Great Brit. II. 246 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) and the Whistling Swan (C. americanus).

Categories »

whistling thrush n. a local name for the song-thrush.

whistling widgeon n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > member of genus Anas (miscellaneous) > anas penelope (Eurasian widgeon) > female

whewer1634

whistling widgeon1668

whew-duck1804

1668 W. Charleton Onomasticon Zoicon 100 Boscas, aliis Anas Fistularis,..the Whewer, or Whistling Widgeon.

C2.

whistling thorn n. a small prickly tree, Acacia drepanolobium or A. zanzibarica, found in East Africa.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > acacia trees > [noun]

acacia1542

babul1696

marblewood1753

black wattle1802

popinac1809

wattlec1810

wattle-treec1810

giraffe tree1815

haakdoring1822

hookthorn1822

kameeldoorn1822

camel-thorn1824

catechu-tree1829

silver wattle1832

blackthorn1833

thorny acacia1834

boobyalla1835

seyal1844

mulga1848

thorn-wood1850

hackthorn1857

mimosa1857

poison tree1857

Port Jackson1857

talha1857

golden wattle1859

whitethorn acacia1860

buffalo thorn1866

nelia1867

siris1874

cassie1876

couba1878

needlebush1884

sallow wattle1884

sally1884

giddea1885

prickly Moses1887

yarran1888

opopanax tree1889

wait-a-while1889

fever tree1893

giraffe acacia1896

stay-a-while1898

brigalow1901

wirra1904

cootamundra1909

Sydney golden wattle1909

witchetty bush1911

rooikrans1917

jam-tree1934

whistling thorn1949

blackthorn1966

1949 R. O. Williams Useful & Ornamental Plants in Zanzibar 102 Acacia zanzibarica..Coast Whistling Thorn. A thorny tree..bearing balls of bright yellow flowers.

1966 C. A. W. Guggisberg S.O.S. Rhino iii. 53 The rapid spread of the whistling thorn over vast areas..is probably a result of the reduction..of this animal!

1976 K. Thackeray Crownbird i. 9 The cab was full of whistling thorn, and swarming with red ants.

Derivatives

ˈwhistlingly adv. with a whistle or whistling.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adverb] > whistle

whistlingly1851

1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick lxxxiv. 410 Stubb whistlingly gathers up the coil of the warp.

1891 Illustr. Sporting & Dramatic News Christmas No., 36/2 A wind got up, suddenly, whistlingly.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online June 2021).

单词	whistling
释义	whistlingn. /ˈhwɪs(ə)lɪŋ/ Forms: see whistle v.; also Middle English Scottish quhestlyng, 1500s Scottish quhisling, 1600s whisling. Etymology: Old English (h)wistlung , < (h)wistlian, whistle v.: see -ing suffix¹. The action of whistle v., in various senses. 1. a. The action of producing a shrill note or notes by forcing the breath through the lips; the utterance of a tune, etc. in this way; †hissing: see whistle v. 1, 5. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > continuous or protracted sound > sibilant sound > [noun] whistlingc897 hissinga1425 hiss1513 whissing1555 hizzing1582 sibilation1626 afflatus1753 siss1859 shish1881 sizzing1890 the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > other vocal sounds > [noun] > whistling whistlingc897 whistle1447 whew1513 whewing?1590 society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > [noun] > whistling whistlingc897 whistle1447 c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care xxiii. 173 Sua sua mid liðre wisðlunga mon hors gestilleð, sua eac mid ð ære illcan wistlunga mon mæg hund astyrigean. c1100 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 162/44 Sibilatio, hwistlung. 1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 456 Foules þat..folwed his whistellynge. 1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) 2 Chron. xxix. 8 He toke hem in to distourblynge, and into deth, and in to whistlyng [L. sibilum]. 1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomew de Glanville De Proprietatibus Rerum xviii. xiv. (Bodl.) lf. 255 b/2 An oxe heerde..pleseþ ham [sc. the oxen] wiþ whistelinge and wiþ songe. 1577 J. Grange Golden Aphroditis sig. Kiij^v Vnmanned Haukes forsake the lure, all whistlyng brings them not to fiste. 1663 A. Cowley Agric. in Ess. in Verse & Prose in Wks. (1674) 106 Some swell up their sleight Sails with pop'lar fame, Charm'd with the foolish whistlings of a Name. 1787 F. Grose Superstitions 66 in Provinc. Gloss. Whistling at sea is supposed to cause an increase of wind, if not a storm. 1845 R. Ford Hand-bk. Travellers in Spain I. i. 45 The same absence of thought which is shown in England by whistling is displayed in Spain by singing. 1892 R. Kipling Lett. of Trav. (1920) 65 He continued an interrupted whistling of ‘I owe ten dollars to O'Grady’. b. The action of sounding a whistle or pipe; piping. ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > signalling > audible signalling > signalling with other sounding instruments > [noun] > sounding of whistle whistlingc950 whistle1447 society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > playing instruments > playing wind instrument > [noun] > playing pipe or whistle whistlingc950 pipingc1300 whistle1447 scrannel-piping1834 c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xv. 25 Wæs ða sunu his ældra on lond & miððy gecuome & geneolecde to huse geherde huislung [L. simphoniam] & þæt song. 1576 R. Curteys Two Serm. sig. Biv^v The Shephearde needeth a Whistle, and..a Dog and an hooke, that suche Sheep as wil not come in with whistling may be either baited in with a Dogge, or drawen in with a Hook. 1679 I. Bargrave tr. F. Micanzio Exact Discov. Myst. Iniquity 14 The Master of a Galley..with once whistling makes all the Galley Slaves fall to their Oars. 1884 Manch. Examiner 6 Oct. 5/6 The occasional whistling of an engine. c. In phrases alluding to the act of whistling by way of a call or summons, as for the whistling (= quite easily, without any trouble), worth the whistling. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > easy, easily, or without difficulty [phrase] with a wet finger1542 for the whistling1546 like a bird1825 as easy (or simple) as falling (or rolling) off a log1839 without tears1857 like a dream1882 as easy as winking1907 the world > action or operation > advantage > [phrase] > worthwhile whilea1387 worth the whistling1546 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. xi. sig. Eiii It is..a poore dogge. that is not worth the whistlyng. 1610 J. Robinson Justif. Separation from Church of Eng. 152 In England a man may haue a Priest for the whisteling. 1631 W. Cornwallis Ess. (ed. 2) ii. lii. 334 Magnanimitie, state, absolutenes, are qualities worth the whistling. 1655 in E. Nicholas Nicholas Papers (1892) II. 287 He may be had for whistlinge. d. In figurative phrase whistling in the dark: see whistle v. 9b. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > courage > moral courage > making bold appearance > [noun] > making pretence of bravery whistling in the dark1939 1939 Time 18 Dec. 21/3 Since precious little German trade can be sailed, submarined or flown overseas, writing about ‘new possibilities’..sounded like official whistling in the dark. 1968 J. M. White Nightclimber xix. 132 He, like me, hated and feared being carried in this ship, for all his whistling in the dark. 1977 Listener 10 Feb. 169/3 Lenin and his wife..were not above a little whistling in the dark to keep up their spirits. 2. a. The utterance of a clear shrill note or notes, as the natural call of a bird or other animal; †also formerly, the hissing of serpents.In quots. 1487² apparently an error for questing = baying (of dogs). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > by noises > voice or sound made by animal > [noun] > whistle or chirp > whistling or chirping whistlingc950 cheepinga1585 fritiniency1646 pipping1750 yeeping1945 the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Ophidia (snakes) > [noun] > hissing whistlinga1400 c950 Prose Life Guthlac (1909) viii. 139 Mislice fugela hwistlunge. a1400 K. Alis. (Laud) 5247 Grete Addren comen flynge And scorpions wiþ vile whistlynge. 1426 J. Lydgate tr. G. de Guileville Pilgrimage Life Man 14140 Whan I here ther..whystlynges, For verray Ioy I hoppe and daunce. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 94 A hundis quhestlyng. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 87 He herd..A hundis quhistlyng [1616 Hart whissilling; 1489 Adv. questionyng] apon fer. 1743 A. Pope Dunciad (rev. ed.) iii. 156 Each Cygnet sweet..Whose tuneful whistling makes the waters pass. 1847 F. W. L. Leichhardt Jrnl. Overland Exped. Austral. xiii. 461 The leatherhead with its constantly changing call and whistling. 1855 C. E. Norton Let. to Lowell 6 Apr. There is scarcely a sound but the whistling of the frogs. b. A form of broken wind in horses: cf. whistler n. 2d. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of horses > [noun] > respiratory disorders wind?1523 pursick1566 pursickness1610 roaring1813 heaves1828 broken wind1831 thick wind1831 whistling1856 1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports ii. iii. ii. §1. 403 Roaring, whistling, and all defects of the wind, are easily discovered on the first smart gallop. 3. The production of any shrill sound of this kind, as by the wind, a missile, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [noun] > whistle whew1513 whistling1513 whiplinga1529 whist1579 whewing?1590 siffling1603 sifflement1607 whistlea1648 whutea1663 whiff1712 whoop1840 whiffle1972 1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid i. ii. 6 Quhair Eolus..the wyndis lowde quhisling..by his power refrenis. 1598 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 1 v. i. 5 The Southren winde..by his hollow whistling in the leaues Foretels a tempest. View more context for this quotation 1608 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. (new ed.) ii. iv. 107 Seas angry noise, lowd bellowing of the winde,..the tackles whisteling. 1609 Bible (Douay) I. 1 Kings xix. 12 And after the fire a wistling of a gentle winde. 1686 J. Scott Christian Life: Pt. II II. vii. 524 We regard what he saith no more than we do the whistling of the Wind. 1801 J. Strutt Glig-gamena Angel-ðeod ii. i. 58 The arrows made a loud whistling in their flight. 1841 J. F. Cooper Deerslayer I. iii. 52 At the report of the rifle, and the whistling of the bullet. 1844 W. Dufton Nature & Treatm. Deafness 77 If there is mucus, then various kinds of gurgling and whistling will be evident. 1895 J. G. Millais Breath from Veldt x. 229 Swishing their white tails..with such violence that the whistling caused by this movement can be heard nearly a quarter of a mile away. Compounds C1. General attributive. whistling match n. ΚΠ 1837 D. Walker Games & Sports 344 Whistling Match. A match of this kind is recorded in a paper of Addison's. whistling pipe n. ΚΠ 1586 Praise of Musicke i. 18 The whistling pipes which were made, for the most part, of reedes. C2. whistling-post n. a post beside a railway-line, on passing which the engine-whistle is sounded. ΘΚΠ society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > post on passing which whistle is sounded whistling-post1898 1898 H. E. Hamblen Gen. Manager's Story x. 140 I managed to see most of the whistling-posts,..and..I blew the crossing signal anyway. whistling-shop n. slang a room in a prison in which spirits were secretly sold without a licence (a signal being given by whistling to escape detection). ΘΚΠ society > authority > punishment > imprisonment > prison > [noun] > a room in prison > in which alcohol was sold whistling-shop1796 society > trade and finance > trading place > place where retail transactions made > [noun] > shop > shop selling liquor > unlicensed shebeenc1787 whistling-shop1796 1796 Grose's Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 3) Whistling shop, rooms in the King's Bench prison where drams are privately sold. 1821 W. T. Moncrieff Tom & Jerry iii. v Scene V.—Interior of Whistling Shop. 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xliv. 489 A whistling-shop, Sir, is where they sell spirits. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online June 2022). whistlingadj. Forms: see whistle v.; also 1500s whislyng. Etymology: < whistle v. + -ing suffix².Previous versions of the OED give the stress as: ˈwhistling. That whistles, in various senses. 1. a. Of inanimate things: see whistle v. 3. whistling arrow, a toy arrow formerly in use, with a hollow head so constructed as to make a whistling sound in flying. whistling buoy, a buoy fitted with a whistle which is automatically sounded by the movement of the waves. whistling kettle, a kettle fitted with a device that emits a whistle as the water boils. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound) > making whistling sound whistlingc1405 whutingc1600 whiffling1834 siffling1866 whistly1907 society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > toy weapons > [noun] poop1489 pellet1553 trunk1553 elder-gun1600 popgun1649 spitter1688 pluff1695 whistling arrowa1718 pea-shooter1782 pea gun1812 detonating ball1814 pea-blower1821 pen-gun1821 pipegun1828 torpedo1831 spring gun1837 putty blower1861 tweaker1862 pluffera1866 bean-shooter1890 putty shooter1896 water pistol1897 stink bomb1915 cap-pistol1920 cap-gun1931 laser gun1961 society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > buoys, marks, or lighthouses > [noun] > buoy > other types of buoy can-buoy1626 mast-buoy1675 nun buoy1703 breakwater1769 under-buoy1793 light buoy1822 bell-buoy1838 spar-buoy1860 gas buoy1865 whistling buoy1880 puppy1890 singing-buoy1894 gas float1895 the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > equipment for food preparation > cooking vessel or pot > [noun] > cauldron or kettle > types of fish-kettle1681 braising-kettle1825 whistling kettle1928–9 c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 170 Men myghte his brydel heere Gyngle in a whistlynge wynd. a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Fourth Bk. Aeneas (1554) iv. sig. Civ^v The whystelyng ayre among the braunches rores. a1593 C. Marlowe tr. Lucan First Bk. (1600) i. 240 Shrill cornets, whistling fifes. 1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream ii. i. 86 To daunce our ringlets to the whistling winde. View more context for this quotation 1668 J. Flavell Saint Indeed 71 To a guilty Conscience, the whistling leaves are Drums and Trumpets. a1718 M. Prior Henry & Emma 333 Winged Deaths in whistling Arrows fly. 1785 W. Cowper Task vi. 941 The..haughty world..sweeps him with her whistling silks. 1785 W. Cowper Task iii. 802 The whistling ball Sent through the trav'ller's temples! 1842 Ld. Tennyson Sir Galahad v, in Poems (new ed.) II. 177 Blessed forms in whistling storms Fly o'er waste fens. 1880 Cassell's Family Mag. VI. 124/2 The Courtenay automatic whistling buoy. 1891 F. W. Farrar Darkness & Dawn I. xviii. 156 The whistling strokes of the scourge. 1897 R. Kipling Captains Courageous viii The We're Here crawled in on half-flood, and the whistling-buoy moaned and mourned behind her. 1928–9 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 173/4 The Whistling kettle. When the water boils the kettle whistles. 1961 J. Stroud Touch & Go iv. 43 The whistling kettle..burst into an unnerving shriek. 1974 R. Ingham Yoris xx. 63 She put a small whistling kettle on the gas ring. b. transferred of a time or place: Characterized by or full of whistling. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound) > characterized by whistling whistling1623 1623 J. Wodroephe Spared Houres Souldier 475/2 A Whistling March, that makes the Plough Man blithe. 1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 167 Our..journey..through whistling dales; in..which we were..weather-beaten with a raging storme. 1806 R. Forsyth Beauties Scotl. III. 227 The English Chapel [in Glasgow]..the common people,..on account of its organ, stigmatize it with the contemptuous epithet of the whistling kirk. c. Military. Designating a missile which makes a whistling sound in flight, or a gun from which such missiles are fired. Frequently in the nicknames of these. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > missile > ammunition for firearms > [adjective] > types of bullet or shell armour-piercinga1686 rifled1797 high-velocity1854 smooth-bore1859 subcalibre1863 whistling1864 full-metal-jacketed1896 full-metal-jacket1898 pipsqueak1916 1864 J. Brobst Let. 28 May in M. B. Roth Well, Mary: Civil War Lett. Wisconsin Volunteer (1960) iv. 67 We dare not show our heads unless we want them to send one of their whistling jimmies at us. 1902 J. Milne Epist. Atkins iv. 67 At Ladysmith ‘Sighing Sarah’ and ‘Whistling Willie’ proclaim their own shots from Umbalwana. 1926 T. E. Lawrence Seven Pillars (subscribers' ed.) xcv. 507 The aeroplanes circled round in their cold-blooded way, to drop whistling bombs into its trenches. 1948 W. White Man called White 256 Three heavy German guns which the Americans nicknamed ‘The Anzio Express’ and ‘Whistling Willies’. 2. a. Of a sound: Of the nature of a whistle; such as is produced by a whistle or shrill pipe. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > whistling (of sound) whistling1662 1662 R. Boyle Examen Mr. T. Hobbs iii. 16 The external Air rushing in with a whistling noise at the..Orifice. 1668 Bp. J. Wilkins Ess. Real Char. 363 The u Gallicum, or whistling u,..cannot be denied to be a distinct simple vowel. 1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados iv. 119 The Wind, blowing into the Cavities of these Husks, makes a very sonorous whistling Noise. 1831 W. Scott Count Robert ii, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. I. 49 They..beheld the barbarian..brandish high his formidable weapon, the whistling sound of which made the old arch ring. 1851 W. H. Walshe Dis. Lungs & Heart 97 Sibilant rhonchus..two varieties, the short and the prolonged, or the clicking and the whistling. b. whistling atmospheric n. = whistler n. 3b. ΚΠ 1953 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 246 128 The main facts of observation concerning the whistling atmospherics..are summarized above. 1959 R. D. Davies & H. P. Palmer Radio Stud. Universe ix. 174 Storey at Cambridge in 1952..was investigating a phenomenon known as whistling atmospherics or simply ‘whistlers’ which are groups of radio waves at audio frequencies (15 kc/s). 1963 G. M. B. Dobson Exploring Atmosphere viii. 141 It is also possible to get some information about the ionization at very great heights above the earth from the curious phenomenon of ‘whistlers’ or ‘whistling atmospherics’. 3. a. Of a person: see whistle v. 1, 4. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > [adjective] > whistling whistling1631 1631 B. Jonson New Inne i. i. 23 I must ha'..whistling boyes to bring my haruest home. 1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 33 A crooning Cow, a crowing Hen, and a whistling Maid boded never luck to a House. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xii. 55 Jackey..was the most thoughtless, whistling, sauntering Fellow. 1820 W. Wordsworth Sonnets dedicated to Liberty (new ed.) i. viii, in Misc. Poems III. 212 Whether the whistling Rustic tend his plough Within thy hearing. 1850 Notes & Queries 1st Ser. 2 164/1 A whistling woman and a crowing hen Is neither fit for God nor men. b. That keeps a ‘whistling-shop’ (see whistling-shop n. at whistling n. Compounds 2). ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > selling > selling or sale of specific things > [adjective] > selling liquor tippling?a1500 whistling1837 1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xliv. 490 ‘Any more?’ said the whistling gentleman. Compounds C1. Of a bird or other animal: see whistle v. 2. Chiefly as a descriptive epithet of particular species. whistling dick n. a name for various species of thrush, esp. of the Australian genus Colluricincla. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Passeriformes (singing) > family Muscicapidae (thrushes, etc.) > [noun] > subfamily Pachycephalinae > genus Colluricincla or shrike thrush whistling dick1848 shrike-thrush1898 1848 J. Gould Birds Austral. II. pl. 77 Colluricincla Selbii,..Whistling Dick, of the Colonists of Van Diemen's Land. whistling duck n. various species of duck, as the golden-eye and the widgeon (cf. whistler n. 2a). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > member of genus Anas (miscellaneous) > anas penelope (Eurasian widgeon) wigeon1508 winder1542 atteal1600 smeath1622 smee1668 whistling duck1699 whima1705 white-face1709 poacher1888 the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > genus Bucephala > bucephala clangula (golden-eye) cur1621 goldeneye1622 shelden1674 whistling duck1699 four-eyes1755 garrot1829 jingler1829 great-head1843 musselcracker1845 whistle-wing1872 ironhead1888 whiffler1888 1699 W. Dampier Voy. & Descr. ii. ii. 69 Whistling Ducks are somewhat less than our Common Duck... In flying, their Wings make a pretty sort of loud whistling Noise. 1863 H. W. Bates Naturalist on River Amazons I. vii. 273 Flocks of whistling ducks (Anas autumnalis), parrots, and..macaws..flew over. Categories » whistling eagle n. whistling field bird n. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover) sea plover1634 whistling plover1668 strand plover1772 squatarole1819 whistling field bird1819 grey plover1838 whistling field plover1872 Swiss plover1874 pilot1880 1819 J. F. Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. ii. 467 [The Alwargrim Plover] is called in America the Large Whistling Field Bird, from its note, which is very shrill. whistling field plover n. the grey plover ( Squatarola helvetica). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover) sea plover1634 whistling plover1668 strand plover1772 squatarole1819 whistling field bird1819 grey plover1838 whistling field plover1872 Swiss plover1874 pilot1880 1872 E. Coues Key to N. Amer. Birds 243 Whistling Field Plover. Bull-head. Ox-eye. whistling fish n. = whistle-fish n. at whistle n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > motella vulgaris (three-bearded rockling) rockling1602 weasel-linga1682 sea-loach1686 whistle-fish1686 whistling fish1766 weasel-fish1773 whistler1864 the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > rhinonemus cimbrius (four-bearded rockling) rockling1602 weasel-linga1682 sea-loach1686 whistle-fish1686 whistling fish1766 weasel-fish1773 whistler1864 the world > animals > fish > class Osteichthyes or Teleostomi > superorder Paracanthopterygii > order Gadiformes (cod) > [noun] > family Gadidae > rocklings > ciliata mustela (five-bearded rockling) rockling1602 weasel-linga1682 sea-loach1686 whistle-fish1686 whistling fish1766 weasel-fish1773 whistler1864 1766 T. Pennant Brit. Zool. i. 36 The seals..are seen searching for their prey near shore; where the whistling fish, wraws, and polacks resort. Categories » whistling hawk n. a small eagle or large hawk ( Haliastur sphenurus) of Australia and New Caledonia. Categories » whistling marmot n. = whistler n. 2b. whistling moth n. (see quot.). ΚΠ 1907 Nature 19 Sept. 516/1 The ‘whistling (stridulating) moths’ of the genus Hecatesia..emit sounds like the call of a Cicada. whistling plover n. (a) the European golden plover, Pluvialis apricaria; (b) the grey plover, Pluvialis squatarola (Swainson); (c) the stone curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > genus Burhinus (thick-knees) > burhinus oedicnemus (stone curlew) caladriea1425 whistling plover1668 stone curlew1678 stone plover1678 great plovera1705 Norfolk plover1766 stone-snipe1785 the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis squatarola (grey plover) sea plover1634 whistling plover1668 strand plover1772 squatarole1819 whistling field bird1819 grey plover1838 whistling field plover1872 Swiss plover1874 pilot1880 the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Charadriidae > genus Pluvialis > pluvialis dominica (American golden plover) green plover1550 whistling plover1668 golden plover1766 frost bird1803 greenback1843 prairie plover1851 prairie snipe1851 prairie pigeon1874 kolea1888 squealer1888 1668 W. Charleton Onomasticon Zoicon 109 Pluvialis Flavovirescens, the green Plover, & whistling Plover. 1682 S. Wilson Acct. Province Carolina 12 On the grassy plaines the whistling Plover and Cranes. 1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 158 We..found..a great many of the Whistling Plover the same with Ours. whistling swan n. (see swan n. 1a). ΚΠ 1785 T. Pennant Arctic Zool. II. ii. 542 The Whistling Swan carries its neck quite erect. 1803 W. Bingley Animal Biogr. II. 504 The Whistling or Wild Swan..is an inhabitant of the northern regions. 1896 R. B. Sharpe Hand-bk. Birds Great Brit. II. 246 The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) and the Whistling Swan (C. americanus). Categories » whistling thrush n. a local name for the song-thrush. whistling widgeon n. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > member of genus Anas (miscellaneous) > anas penelope (Eurasian widgeon) > female whewer1634 whistling widgeon1668 whew-duck1804 1668 W. Charleton Onomasticon Zoicon 100 Boscas, aliis Anas Fistularis,..the Whewer, or Whistling Widgeon. C2. whistling thorn n. a small prickly tree, Acacia drepanolobium or A. zanzibarica, found in East Africa. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > acacia trees > [noun] acacia1542 babul1696 marblewood1753 black wattle1802 popinac1809 wattlec1810 wattle-treec1810 giraffe tree1815 haakdoring1822 hookthorn1822 kameeldoorn1822 camel-thorn1824 catechu-tree1829 silver wattle1832 blackthorn1833 thorny acacia1834 boobyalla1835 seyal1844 mulga1848 thorn-wood1850 hackthorn1857 mimosa1857 poison tree1857 Port Jackson1857 talha1857 golden wattle1859 whitethorn acacia1860 buffalo thorn1866 nelia1867 siris1874 cassie1876 couba1878 needlebush1884 sallow wattle1884 sally1884 giddea1885 prickly Moses1887 yarran1888 opopanax tree1889 wait-a-while1889 fever tree1893 giraffe acacia1896 stay-a-while1898 brigalow1901 wirra1904 cootamundra1909 Sydney golden wattle1909 witchetty bush1911 rooikrans1917 jam-tree1934 whistling thorn1949 blackthorn1966 1949 R. O. Williams Useful & Ornamental Plants in Zanzibar 102 Acacia zanzibarica..Coast Whistling Thorn. A thorny tree..bearing balls of bright yellow flowers. 1966 C. A. W. Guggisberg S.O.S. Rhino iii. 53 The rapid spread of the whistling thorn over vast areas..is probably a result of the reduction..of this animal! 1976 K. Thackeray Crownbird i. 9 The cab was full of whistling thorn, and swarming with red ants. Derivatives ˈwhistlingly adv. with a whistle or whistling. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adverb] > whistle whistlingly1851 1851 H. Melville Moby-Dick lxxxiv. 410 Stubb whistlingly gathers up the coil of the warp. 1891 Illustr. Sporting & Dramatic News Christmas No., 36/2 A wind got up, suddenly, whistlingly. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online June 2021). < n.c897adj.c1405
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