whistle
whistle — noun
1. a high-pitched noise that results from air passing swiftly across a narrow gap —
a high-pitched noise that results from air passing swiftly across a narrow gap — for example, between a person's pursed lips, out of a kettle spout, or from a train's steam vent.
Nicholas let out a low whistle when he saw the view from the balcony.
let out a whistle — produce a whistling sound
The whistle of the boiling kettle woke up the baby from her nap.
noun + prepositional phrase: whistle of [something]
A loud whistle came from the train as it pulled into the station.
Quinn heard a friendly whistle from across the street and turned around.
The sharp whistle of the winter wind made everyone pull their coats tighter.
用法筆記
Can be modified by adjectives describing pitch (low, high, sharp) or intention (friendly, admiring). Often follows the pattern 'whistle of + [source]'.
2. a small hollow object that you put to your mouth and push air into, creating a v
a small hollow object that you put to your mouth and push air into, creating a very clear, piercing tone; used to alert people or communicate in sports and safety settings.
The referee put his whistle to his lips and blew hard.
blow a whistle — common verb + object pattern
Each lifeguard carries a whistle to get the swimmers' attention quickly.
Nila bought a small safety whistle for her keychain before the hiking trip.
The coach blew his whistle to call the team back for more practice.
A police officer's whistle sounded loud and clear through the busy market street.
用法筆記
Commonly modified by a possessive or noun adjunct indicating the user (referee's whistle, police whistle). The verb blow is the most frequent operator.
3. the sound of a sports official's whistle blown to indicate a stoppage, a foul, o
the sound of a sports official's whistle blown to indicate a stoppage, a foul, or the start or end of play.
The final whistle ended the match with a score of two goals to one.
final whistle — fixed collocation for end of a match
After the whistle, the players walked off the field and shook hands.
after the whistle — time reference common in sports commentary
Sumin heard the referee's whistle and stopped running right away.
The crowd booed loudly when the whistle signaled a penalty kick for the other team.
Play continued until the referee's whistle stopped the game for an injury check.
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 2 (the physical object): this sense refers to the SIGNAL or EVENT produced by the whistle blast, not the device. Frequently occurs in fixed phrases like the final whistle or the half-time whistle.
whistle — verb
1. to push air out between nearly shut lips so that a ringing note comes out; you c
to push air out between nearly shut lips so that a ringing note comes out; you can do this to play a melody, call someone, or show that you are happy or impressed.
Minh whistled a cheerful tune while walking to the bus stop.
whistle + direct object (a tune) — transitive pattern with melody
The old man sat on the park bench and whistled to call his dog back.
whistle + infinitive of purpose — call someone or something
Hassan tried to whistle but could not make a clear sound at first.
Rafael whistled loudly to get a taxi on the busy rainy street.
The children learned to whistle during their summer camp activities.
文法句型
whistle
whistle + noun phrase (a tune, a song)
whistle + prepositional phrase (at, to, for)
用法筆記
Transitive when a melody is produced ('whistle a song'); intransitive when the act itself is described ('whistle to attract attention'). Frequently used with adverbs of manner (loudly, softly, happily).
常見錯誤
2. to move at high speed through the air or along a surface, producing a high, thin
to move at high speed through the air or along a surface, producing a high, thin sound as a result.
A strong wind whistled through the cracks in the old wooden cabin.
whistle through [opening] — preposition + location
The arrow whistled past his ear during the archery competition.
whistle past — movement past a point
Cold air whistled under the door and made the whole room feel icy.
Bullets whistled across the field during the military training exercise.
The stone whistled past Christopher's shoulder and landed in the lake.
文法句型
whistle + through/past/across + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive. Requires a directional prepositional phrase (through, past, across, under). Subject is typically wind, air, bullets, or fast-moving objects.
3. when a bird produces a series of high, musical notes with its voice, especially
when a bird produces a series of high, musical notes with its voice, especially during the morning or nesting season.
A blackbird whistled from the top of the garden wall each morning.
bird + whistle + location — subject is a specific bird species
Outside the window, a robin whistled a sweet melody at sunrise.
Rachid could hear finches whistling in the trees near the riverbank.
The canary whistled happily when Christopher entered the sunny room.
文法句型
whistle — used of birds
用法筆記
Subject is always a bird species. Unlike verb sense 1 (human whistling), this sense refers to natural bird song, not a learned skill. Common with perception verbs: hear a bird whistling, listen to birds whistle.
4. in team sports, to use a whistle to communicate with players — for instance, to
in team sports, to use a whistle to communicate with players — for instance, to pause or restart the action, or to indicate that someone has done something that is not allowed by the rules.
The referee whistled to stop the game after the player fell to the ground.
whistle + infinitive of purpose — to signal an action
When the official whistled, both teams stopped and waited for the call.
The referee whistled three times to signal the end of the match.
Walid whistled loudly to restart the match after the injury break.
At the start of each half, the referee whistles and play begins again.
- blow the whistle
a phrasal equivalent; slightly more emphatic and descriptive than 'whistle' alone
- signal
a broader verb that could include hand gestures or flags; whistle is a specific type of signal
文法句型
whistle — intransitive; often followed by to-infinitive of purpose
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 5 (whistle a player) — this sense is intransitive (the referee whistles), while sense 5 is transitive with a player as the object. Common in sports commentary: 'the referee whistles for a foul.'
5. in team sports, when a referee signals through a whistle blast that a particular
in team sports, when a referee signals through a whistle blast that a particular player has committed a rule violation, resulting in a penalty or free kick.
The referee whistled the defender for a dangerous tackle from behind.
whistle [player] for [violation] — transitive pattern with reason
Quinn was whistled for a foul after pushing during a corner kick.
passive: be whistled for [violation]
The official whistled the player for unsportsmanlike behavior on the court.
Eitan got whistled for stepping outside the lane during the basketball game.
- penalize
more formal; can apply to any sport or even non-sport contexts; whistle is specific to sports with whistles
- call a foul on
the standard American English phrasing; whistle a player is more informal and British-influenced
文法句型
whistle + player noun phrase + for + noun phrase (the foul)
用法筆記
Distinguish from verb sense 4 (intransitive 'the referee whistles'): this sense takes a direct object naming the player who committed the infraction. Frequently used in the passive: 'got whistled for a foul.' CEFR C1 as the sense is narrow and sport-specific.