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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of wheeze in a Sentence
He was up all night hacking and wheezing.
The car's motor wheezed and stalled.
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
First Known Use: 15th century
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.
1800
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
Seen and Heard
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