Definition of wheeze
wheezed
;wheezing
intransitive verb
1 : to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound
2 : to make a sound resembling that of wheezing the bellows wheezed
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Examples of wheeze in a Sentence
He was up all night hacking and wheezing.
The car's motor wheezed and stalled.
Recent Examples of wheeze from the Web
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The investment has steadily driven down the number of days with unhealthy air — but on hot, windless days, a brown haze still hangs overhead, sending wheezing people with tight chests to emergency rooms and hundreds each year to an early grave.
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Flight attendants, pilots complained of rashes, wheezingClothing maker cites ‘
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Hit with all kinds of injuries - even one player got shingles - FSU wheezed and gasped to find momentum.
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There are warehouses nearby, and 18-wheelers wheeze through the neighborhood, raising dust and intimidating the rare pedestrian.
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HUMANKIND TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Her voice wheezes, her breathing labors.
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HUMANKIND TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Her voice wheezes, her breathing labors.
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Three hours into the five-hour flight from Philadelphia to California, Bobbie Fields was wheezing and using her inhaler, allergic to the long-haired dog one row behind her.
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But to Patsy Hayes, even the slightest physical contact with latex is enough to send her to the hospital, wheezing with swollen lips, tongue and eyelids — a possible life-threatening scenario.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wheeze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of wheeze
Middle English whesen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hvæsa to hiss; akin to Old English hwǣst action of blowing, Sanskrit śvasiti he blows, snorts
wheeze
Definition of wheeze
1 : a sound of wheezing
2a : an often repeated and widely known joke used especially by entertainersb : a trite saying or proverb
Examples of wheeze in a Sentence
Between gasps and wheezes, he tried to explain what had happened.
the wheeze of an engine
We can count on him for a good wheeze.
Recent Examples of wheeze from the Web
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The coughs to clear my throat became involuntary and more violent, with the whistling rattle of a wheeze.
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Perhaps the best known of these was the John Birch Society, founded in 1958 as a dying wheeze of McCarthyism.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wheeze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of wheeze
1800
WHEEZE Defined for English Language Learners
wheeze
playDefinition of wheeze for English Language Learners
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: to breathe loudly and with difficulty
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: to make a sound like a person who is breathing with difficulty
wheeze
Definition of wheeze for English Language Learners
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: the sound made by a person who is having difficulty breathing or a similar sound : the sound of wheezing
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: a clever idea or joke
WHEEZE Defined for Kids
Definition of wheeze for Students
wheezed
;wheezing
1 : to breathe with difficulty and usually with a whistling sound
2 : to make a whistling sound like someone having difficulty breathing
Definition of wheeze for Students
: a whistling sound like that made by someone having difficulty breathing
Medical Dictionary
wheeze
Medical Definition of wheeze
: a sibilant whistling sound caused by difficult or obstructed respiration
Learn More about wheeze
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See words that rhyme with wheeze Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wheeze Spanish Central: Translation of wheeze Nglish: Translation of wheeze for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wheeze for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wheeze
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