wheeze
[ hweez, weez ]
/ ʰwiz, wiz /
verb (used without object), wheezed, wheez·ing.
to breathe with difficulty and with a whistling sound: Asthma caused him to wheeze.
to make a sound resembling difficult breathing: The old locomotive wheezed into the station.
noun
a wheezing breath or sound.
an old and frequently used joke, saying, story, etc.
Nearby words
wheelwork, wheelwright, wheelwright, john, wheen, wheesh, wheeze, wheezy, whelk, whelked, whelm, whelp
Origin of wheeze
1425–75; late Middle English whese (v.), probably < Old Norse hvæsa to hiss
Related formswheez·er, nounwheez·ing·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for wheeze
British Dictionary definitions for wheeze
wheeze
/ (wiːz) /
verb
to breathe or utter (something) with a rasping or whistling sound
(intr) to make or move with a noise suggestive of wheezy breathing
noun
a husky, rasping, or whistling sound or breathing
British slang a trick, idea, or plan (esp in the phrase good wheeze)
informal a hackneyed joke or anecdote
Derived Formswheezer, nounwheezy, adjectivewheezily, adverbwheeziness, noun
Word Origin for wheeze
C15: probably from Old Norse hvǣsa to hiss
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for wheeze
wheeze
mid-15c., probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. Old Norse hvoesa "to hiss," Danish hvæse) cognate with Old English hwæst "act of blowing," hwosan "to cough," from an imitative root. Related: Wheezed; wheezing. The noun is first recorded 1834.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for wheeze
wheeze
[ wēz ]
v.
To breathe with difficulty, producing a hoarse whistling sound.
n.
A wheezing sound.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.