whistler

noun

whis·​tler ˈ(h)wi-s(ə-)lər 

: one that whistles: such as

a

: any of various birds

especially : any of numerous oscine birds (especially genus Pachycephala) found chiefly in Australia and South Pacific islands and having a whistling call

b

: a large marmot (Marmota caligata) of northwestern North America having a shrill alarm call

c

: a broken-winded horse

d

: a very-low-frequency radio signal that is generated by lightning discharge, travels along the earth's magnetic-field lines, and produces a sound resembling a whistle of descending pitch in radio receivers

Examples of whistler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

See the whistlers mimicking birdsong on Vogelpfeifer whistles, test your strength at the Hau den Lukas strongman game and munch on the traditional Lebkuchen gingerbread cookies. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024

Watch on Deadline Away from TV, Gilliland was quite the whistler. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2024

Ullman, an expert whistler, had done the same thing before a basketball game at Duke, Rubenstein’s alma mater, in 2015. —Jeff Barker, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2024

Birds may get toxic feathers from eating beetles Songbirds in the pristine rainforests of New Guinea, including the regent whistler and rufous-naped bellbird, have potent neurotoxins in their feathers like those found among poison dart frogs. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Geographical Definition

Whistler

geographical name

Whis·​tler ˈ(h)wi-s(ə-)lər 

municipality and resort noted for its ski slopes in the Coast Ranges of southern British Columbia, Canada population 9824

Biographical Definition

Whistler

biographical name

Whis·​tler ˈ(h)wi-slər 

James (Abbott) McNeill 1834–1903 American painter and etcher

Whistlerian

(h)wi-ˈslir-ē-ən 

adjective