whisht

n. [ From Whist, interj. ] A certain game at cards; -- so called because it requires silence and close attention. It is played by four persons (those who sit opposite each other being partners) with a complete pack of fifty-two cards. Each player has thirteen cards, and when these are played out, the hand is finished, and the cards are again shuffled and distributed. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Points are scored for the tricks taken in excess of six, and for the honors held. In long whist, now seldom played, ten points make the game; in short whist, now usually played in England, five points make the game. In American whist, so-called, honors are not counted, and seven points by tricks make the game. [ 1913 Webster ]

--
Bridge whist. See Bridge, n., above. --
Duplicate whist, a form of whist in playing which the hands are preserved as dealt and played again by other players, as when each side holds in the second round the cards played by the opposing side in the first round. --
Solo whist. See Solo whist, above. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ From Whist, interj. ] To hush or silence. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be or become silent or still; to be hushed or mute. [ R. ] Surrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Properly p. p. of whist, v. ] Not speaking; not making a noise; silent; mute; still; quiet. “So whist and dead a silence.” Sir J. Harrington. [ 1913 Webster ]

The winds, with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kissed. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This adjective generally follows its noun, or is used predicatively. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To form, utter, or modulate by whistling; as, to whistle a tune or an air. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To send, signal, or call by a whistle. [ 1913 Webster ]

He chanced to miss his dog; we stood still till he had whistled him up. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

To whistle off. (a) To dismiss by a whistle; -- a term in hawking. “AS a long-winged hawk when he is first whistled off the fist, mounts aloft.” Burton. (b) Hence, in general, to turn loose; to abandon; to dismiss. [ 1913 Webster ]

I 'ld whistle her off, and let her down the wind
To prey at fortune. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ “A hawk seems to have been usually sent off in this way, against the wind when sent in search of prey; with or down the wind, when turned loose, and abandoned.” Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Whistled p. pr. & vb. n. Whistling ] [ AS. hwistlian; akin to Sw. hvissla, Dan. hvisle, Icel. hvīsla to whisper, and E. whisper. √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 ]

n. [ AS. hwistle a pipe, flute, whistle. See Whistle, v. i. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A sharp, shrill, more or less musical sound, made by forcing the breath through a small orifice of the lips, or through or instrument which gives a similar sound; the sound used by a sportsman in calling his dogs; the shrill note of a bird; as, the sharp whistle of a boy, or of a boatswain's pipe; the blackbird's mellow whistle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Might we but hear
The folded flocks, penned in their wattled cotes, . . .
Or whistle from the lodge. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The countryman could not forbear smiling, . . . and by that means lost his whistle. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

They fear his whistle, and forsake the seas. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The shrill sound made by wind passing among trees or through crevices, or that made by bullet, or the like, passing rapidly through the air; the shrill noise (much used as a signal, etc.) made by steam or gas escaping through a small orifice, or impinging against the edge of a metallic bell or cup. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An instrument in which gas or steam forced into a cavity, or against a thin edge, produces a sound more or less like that made by one who whistles through the compressed lips; as, a child's whistle; a boatswain's whistle; a steam whistle (see Steam whistle, under Steam). [ 1913 Webster ]

The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The mouth and throat; -- so called as being the organs of whistling. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

So was her jolly whistle well ywet. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let's drink the other cup to wet our whistles. Walton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whistle duck (Zool.), the American golden-eye. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) A gossat, or rockling; -- called also whistler, three-bearded rockling, sea loach, and sorghe. [ 1913 Webster ]