From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Whistle \Whis"tle\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whistled}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Whistling}.] [AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan.
hvisle, Icel. hv[imac]sla to whisper, and E. whisper.
[root]43. See {Whisper}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. To make a kind of musical sound, or series of sounds, by
forcing the breath through a small orifice formed by
contracting the lips; also, to emit a similar sound, or
series of notes, from the mouth or beak, as birds.
[1913 Webster]
The weary plowman leaves the task of day,
And, trudging homeward, whistles on the way. --Gay.
[1913 Webster]
2. To make a shrill sound with a wind or steam instrument,
somewhat like that made with the lips; to blow a sharp,
shrill tone.
[1913 Webster]
3. To sound shrill, or like a pipe; to make a sharp, shrill
sound; as, a bullet whistles through the air.
[1913 Webster]
The wild winds whistle, and the billows roar.
--Pope.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Whistling \Whis"tling\,
a. & n. from {Whistle}, v.
[1913 Webster]
{Whistling buoy}. (Naut.) See under {Buoy}.
{Whistling coot} (Zool.), the American black scoter.
{Whistling Dick}. (Zool.)
(a) An Australian shrike thrush ({Colluricincla Selbii}).
(b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]
{Whistling duck}. (Zool.)
(a) The golden-eye.
(b) A tree duck.
{Whistling eagle} (Zool.), a small Australian eagle
({Haliastur sphenurus}); -- called also {whistling hawk},
and {little swamp eagle}.
{Whistling plover}. (Zool.)
(a) The golden plover.
(b) The black-bellied, or gray, plover.
{Whistling snipe} (Zool.), the American woodcock.
{Whistling swan}. (Zool.)
(a) The European whooper swan; -- called also {wild swan},
and {elk}.
(b) An American swan ({Olor columbianus}). See under {Swan}.
{Whistling teal} (Zool.), a tree duck, as {Dendrocygna
awsuree} of India.
{Whistling thrush}. (Zool.)
(a) Any one of several species of singing birds of the genus
{Myiophonus}, native of Asia, Australia, and the East
Indies. They are generally black, glossed with blue, and
have a patch of bright blue on each shoulder. Their note
is a loud and clear whistle.
(b) The song thrush. [Prov. Eng.]
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
whistling
n 1: the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam
coming out of a small aperture [syn: {whistle},
{whistling}]
2: the act of whistling a tune; "his cheerful whistling
indicated that he enjoyed his work"
3: the act of signalling (e.g., summoning) by whistling or
blowing a whistle; "the whistle signalled the end of the
game" [syn: {whistle}, {whistling}]
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