whistle(2) (iou) and Rh incompatibility (health)

whistle(2) (iou)

whistle verb.
[Old English (h)wistlian corresp. to Old Norse hvisla whisper, Middle Swedish hvisla, Swedish vissla whistle, Danish hvistle hiss, from Germanic imit. base also of WHISPER verb.]
I.
verb intrans. Orig., play on a pipe. Now, blow or sound a whistle. OE.
Sir W. Scott She whistled on a small silver call..used to summon domestics.
verb intrans. Produce a whistle or clear shrill sound by forcing the breath through contracted lips, esp. as a signal or to express surprise, approval, or derision; produce a series of such sounds; spec. produce a tune consisting of a series of such sounds. OE.
G. Vidal Whistling tonelessly (he had no ear for Music). J. Dickey I put my thumb and forefinger in my mouth and whistled. L. Hellman He whistled when he saw the prices on the menu.
verb intrans. (Of a bird, the wind, etc.) emit a whistle; (foll. by adverb) (of the wind, a missile, etc.) move or go with a whistle. OE.
J. M. Coetzee Jet fighters whistled high overhead. A. Tyler Wind whistled in under the canvas flaps.
b. Of a fabric or garment: rustle shrilly. obsolete exc. dial. M17.
verb trans. Produce (a tune), express, by whistling. Also with cognate obj., emit (a whistle). M16.
C. Rayner A song that was..popular, being whistled..by every errand boy. Peace News Arrested..for whistling the Irish National Anthem.
verb trans.
a. Shoot or drive with a whistling sound. L17.
b. Foll. by down, off: apply, take off, (the brakes of a train). M19.
c. Make (one's way) with whistling. M19.
II. transf. & fig.
verb trans. Give a signal to by whistling; call, summon, get (as) by whistling. Freq. foll. by up. L15.
G. Greene Shall I whistle a taxi, sir? G. North Cluff whistled Cline from the hearth-rug. fig.: I. Murdoch One can't whistle up happiness. It's a gift of Nature.
b. Send (a hawk) away, off, etc., by whistling; fig. dismiss or abandon lightly. M16.
verb intrans. Issue a call or summons (for), summon. Now rare or obsolete exc. as in senses 1, 3 above. M16.
verb intrans. & trans. Speak of (something) secretly, give secret information (about). Now rare or obsolete. L16.
verb intrans. Foll. by adverb or adverbial phr.: go, come, etc., rapidly. colloq. L17.
I. Asimov The blow whistled past, with little room to spare.
Phrases: go whistle: expr. unceremonious or contemptuous dismissal or refusal. whistle down the wind (a) turn (a hawk) loose; (b) fig. let go, abandon. whistle for colloq. await or expect in vain, fail to get. whistle in the dark: see DARK noun1 1.
whistleable adjective (of a tune) able to be whistled M20.
whistled adjective (a) that has been whistled (
whistled language = whistle-language s.v. WHISTLE noun); (b) slang drunk: M18.

Rh incompatibility (health)

A condition in which a baby's blood type is incompatible with the mother's. If carefully monitored and treated, women whose Rh factor is incompatible with their fetus's will usually give birth to a healthy baby.

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