whistling

American  

[hwis-ling, wis-] / ˈʰwɪs lɪŋ, ˈwɪs- /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that whistles.

2. the sound produced.

3. Veterinary Pathology. a form of roaring characterized by a peculiarly shrill sound.

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whistling British  

/ ˈwɪslɪŋ /

noun

1. vet science a breathing defect of horses characterized by a high-pitched sound with each intake of air Compare roaring

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Etymology

Origin of whistling

before 900; Middle English; Old English hwistlung. See whistle, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

He’s a big whistler—and actually pretty good at it as far as whistling goes.

From Literature

As Ms. Kilpatrick notes, Ravel sometimes deflected praise for “Boléro,” his most famous work—and yet “he was unashamedly delighted when, passing a building site . . . he heard three construction workers whistling his tune.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“I heard someone whistling the show’s theme song, and it wasn’t a child — it was an adult sweeping the street,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times

Oh, and what, a whistling monkey took it?

From Literature

Just thinking about it prompted Penelope to start humming the wordless little sea chantey that Simon had been whistling earlier.

From Literature