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whistle stop

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See synonyms for: whistle-stopped / whistle-stopping on Thesaurus.com
noun
a small, unimportant town, especially one along a railroad line.
a short talk from the rear platform of a train, especially during a political campaign.
a brief appearance, single performance, or the like, in a small town, as during a political campaign or theatrical tour.
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Origin of whistle stop

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Words nearby whistle stop

whistle past the graveyard, whistle pig, whistler, Whistler, James, Whistler's Mother, whistle stop, whistle up, whistling, whistling buoy, whistling duck, whistling swan

Other definitions for whistle stop (2 of 2)

whistle-stop
[ hwis-uhl-stop, wis- ]
/ ˈʰwɪs əlˌstɒp, ˈwɪs- /
verb (used without object), whis·tle-stopped, whis·tle-stop·ping.
to campaign for political office by traveling around the country, originally by train, stopping at small communities to address voters.
to take a trip consisting of several brief, usually overnight, stops.
adjective
occurring at a whistle stop; consisting of whistle stops: a whistle-stop speech; a whistle-stop tour of the Northwest.

Origin of whistle-stop

First recorded in 1950–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to whistle stop

circuit, course, cruise, excursion, expedition, outing, road, round, swing, travel, trek, trip, city, metropolis, municipality, township, barnstorm, lobby, politick, stump

How to use whistle stop in a sentence

  • Nobody had to explain to him that the two Gestapo agents had boarded the train at that whistle stop.

    Dave Dawson on the Russian Front|R. Sidney Bowen

  • Seventy-five miles south of Chicago there is a whistle-stop called Shipmont.

    The Fourth R|George Oliver Smith

  • Lansdale was too small even to be called a "whistle stop," because no trains came near it.

    The Blue Ghost Mystery|Harold Leland Goodwin

  • Why should he hang around this whistle stop for a wasted week-end, holding kitchen conversations with the unmighty living?

    The Mighty Dead|William Campbell Gault

British Dictionary definitions for whistle stop

whistle stop
noun
US and Canadian
  1. a minor railway station where trains stop only on signal
  2. a small town having such a station
  1. a brief appearance in a town, esp by a political candidate to make a speech, shake hands, etc
  2. (as modifier)a whistle-stop tour
verb whistle-stop -stops, -stopping or -stopped
(intr) to campaign for office by visiting many small towns to give short speeches
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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