whistle

noun

/ˈwɪsl/

Idioms

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a small metal or plastic tube that you blow to make a loud, high sound, used to attract attention or as a signal
- The referee finally blew the whistle to stop the game.
see also dog whistle, tin whistleTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1
Extra Examples
- He gave a short blast on his whistle.
- The referee's whistle went just before he shot the goal.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- dog
- police
- train
- …
verb + whistle
- blow
- blow on
- sound
- …
whistle + verb
- blow
- go
- sound
- …
phrases
- a blast on a whistle
See full entry
the sound made by blowing a whistle
- He scored the winning goal just seconds before the final whistle.
Extra Examples
- They scored their only goal just before the final whistle.
- From the opening to the final whistle, Gray is relentless.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- loud
- high
- high-pitched
- …
verb + whistle
- give
- let out
- hear
- …
preposition
- with a whistle
- whistle of
See full entry
the sound that you make by forcing your breath out when your lips are almost closed
- He gave a low long whistle of surprise.
see also wolf whistle
Extra Examples
- He attracted whistles and jeers and rotten tomatoes from the crowd.
- From the audience came applause and whistles of appreciation.
- She gave a low whistle of admiration.
- He pursed his lips in a silent whistle.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- loud
- high
- high-pitched
- …
verb + whistle
- give
- let out
- hear
- …
preposition
- with a whistle
- whistle of
See full entry
the loud, high sound produced by air or steam being forced through a small opening, or by something moving quickly through the air
- the whistle of a boiling kettle
- the whistle of a bullet
- The train entered the tunnel with a shrill whistle.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- loud
- high
- high-pitched
- …
verb + whistle
- give
- let out
- hear
- …
preposition
- with a whistle
- whistle of
See full entry
a piece of equipment that makes a loud, high sound when air or steam is forced through it
- The train whistle blew as we left the station.
- a factory whistle
Topics Transport by bus and trainb2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- dog
- police
- train
- …
verb + whistle
- blow
- blow on
- sound
- …
whistle + verb
- blow
- go
- sound
- …
phrases
- a blast on a whistle
See full entry

Word OriginOld English (h)wistlian (verb), (h)wistle (noun), of Germanic origin; imitative and related to Swedish vissla ‘to whistle’.

Idioms

as clean as a whistle

(informal) very clean
More Like This Similes in idioms
Similes in idioms
- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots

blow the whistle on somebody/something

(informal) to tell somebody in authority about something wrong or illegal that somebody is doing

whistle

verb

/ˈwɪsl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they whistle	/ˈwɪsl/ /ˈwɪsl/
he / she / it whistles	/ˈwɪslz/ /ˈwɪslz/
past simple whistled	/ˈwɪsld/ /ˈwɪsld/
past participle whistled	/ˈwɪsld/ /ˈwɪsld/
-ing form whistling	/ˈwɪslɪŋ/ /ˈwɪslɪŋ/

Idioms

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[transitive, intransitive] to make a high sound or a musical tune by forcing your breath out when your lips are almost closed
- whistle (something) to whistle a tune
- He whistled in amazement.
- The crowd booed and whistled as the player came onto the field.
- whistle to somebody/something She whistled to the dog to come back.
- whistle at somebody/something Workmen whistled at her as she walked past.
- He whistled at the sheer audacity of the plan.
Extra Examples
- Men whistled at her in the street.
- Norma looked at the letter and whistled softly through her teeth.
- William whistled to me from a distance.
- He started to whistle a tune.
Topics Musicc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- loudly
- softly
- under your breath
- …
verb + whistle
- begin to
- hear somebody
preposition
- at
- in
- to
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] to make a loud, high sound by blowing into a whistle
- The referee whistled for a foul.
[intransitive] (of a kettle or other machine) to make a loud, high sound
- The kettle began to whistle.
- The microphone was making a strange whistling sound.
- The train whistled and shot into the tunnel.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move quickly, making a loud, high sound
- The wind whistled down the chimney.
- A bullet whistled past his ear.
[intransitive] (of a bird) to make a high sound

Word OriginOld English (h)wistlian (verb), (h)wistle (noun), of Germanic origin; imitative and related to Swedish vissla ‘to whistle’.

Idioms

somebody can whistle for something

(British English, informal) used to say that you are not going to give somebody something that they have asked for
- If he wants his money he can whistle for it—I’m broke!

whistle in the dark

to pretend not to be afraid
- Instead of whistling in the dark about the inevitable disaster, we should be making plans for when it strikes.