Basic+ Word of the Day: whistle

whistle (verb, noun) past tense: whistled

Whistle means ‘to make a high, clear sound by forcing air through your lips.”

• Fred whistled a happy song.
• When Elaine whistles, her dog returns to her side.

A whistle is an instrument for producing a whistling sound.

• The referee blew his whistle to signal a foul.
• The police officer uses a whistle when he directs traffic.

Common uses

blow the whistle: to expose a crime. Example: “The accountant blew the whistle on the manager who used his corporate credit card for personal expenses.”

Did you know?

To Have and Have Not was Lauren Bacall’s first film. Its most memorable scene is the “Whistle” scene. Be sure to watch it to the end.

In pop culture?

Work doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Watch Snow White and her animal friends clean the house and sing “Whistle While You Work.”

There are other meanings of whistle.