Whistle

hwis′l, v.i. to make a shrill sound by forcing the breath through the lips contracted: to make a like sound with an instrument: to sound shrill: to inform by whistling, to become informer.— v.t. to form or utter by whistling: to call by a whistle.— n. the sound made in whistling: a small wind instrument: an instrument sounded by escaping steam, used for signalling on railway-engines, steamships, .— adj. Whis′tle-drunk ( obs. ), too drunk to whistle.— ns. Whis′tle-fish , a rockling; Whis′tler , one who, or that which, whistles: a kind of marmot: a broken-winded horse; Whis′tling .— adv. Whis′tlingly .— n. Whis′tling-shop ( slang ), a shebeen, the keeper being called a whistler .— Whistle down the wind , to talk to no purpose; Whistle for , to summon by whistling; Whistle for a wind , a superstitious practice of old sailors during a calm; Whistle off , to send off by a whistle: ( Shak. ) turn loose.— Go whistle ( Shak. ), to go to the deuce; Pay for one's whistle , to pay highly for one's caprice; Pigs and whistles , an exclamation equivalent to 'The deuce!' or the like—also in phrase, 'To make pigs and whistles of anything'=to make a sad me of it; Wet one's whistle ( coll. ), to take a drink of liquor; Worth the whistle , worth the trouble of calling for. [A.S. hwistlian ; Sw. hvi la ; cf. Whisper .]