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

Woodstock gets a solo moment too, whistling on Dog Marley’s “Three Little Birds,” set to a perfect one drop beat as Charlie Brown spirals out in a chicken suit while rubber chickens sway.

From Los Angeles Times

Her husband, Joseph Hougebe, remembers whistling into the night, eagerly waiting to hear a paddle tapping against the hull of a dugout canoe -- coded signals in the darkness.

From Barron's

After some scattered cheering, the sound of whistling cut through the stadium music.

From The Wall Street Journal

When she inhales, a whistling noise tells me her asthma is acting up.

From Literature

I saw a few scrawny boys leaning out the open upstairs windows, hooting and whistling at the fallen pickpocket on the street below.

From Literature