wolf whistle

noun

: a distinctive 2-toned whistle sounded to express approval of another person's appearance
The football players, wearing their jerseys and sequestered in the stands, make the same wolf whistles and obnoxious gestures that college football players everywhere tend to make when confronted by shimmying women in tight clothing.Neal Karlen

Examples of wolf whistle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then a loud wolf whistle broke her spiral. Rachel Heng, The New Yorker, 31 May 2021 The night of the supposed wolf whistle, he was tracked down by Bryant’s husband and his half-brother and told to get out of bed and get dressed. Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian, 3 Feb. 2017 Described as a wolf whistle, that single sound became a central accusation against Till. Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian, 3 Feb. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wolf whistle was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near wolf whistle

Cite this Entry

“Wolf whistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wolf%20whistle. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!