French word

sifflet

Pronunciation

IPA/siflɛ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounwhistle

Example

Il a acheté un sifflet pour entraîner son chien.

He bought a whistle to train his dog.

Illustration for sifflet (whistle)

More examples

L'arbitre a sifflé avec son sifflet pour signaler la fin du match.

The referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the match.

Core concept

A small hollow whistle held to the lips, turning breath into a short signal.

Common phrases

  • souffler dans un sifflet

    blow into a whistle

  • un sifflet d'arbitre

    a referee's whistle

Similar words

sifflement: A brief, high-pitched sound produced as air passes through the mouth or a device.
flûte: A tubular woodwind instrument that produces continuous notes when blown.
klaxon: A vehicle-mounted warning horn that sounds when pressed.
sirène: A device on an emergency or police vehicle for producing a continuous, high-pitched warning sound.

Definition in French

Objet creux et généralement petit que l'on porte à la bouche et que l'on souffle pour obtenir un sifflement, servant souvent de signal bref.

Word origin

The noun sifflet is formed from siffler with the diminutive suffix -et, while siffler is an expressive word linked to the sound of whistling.

Usage tips

  • Sifflet is masculine, so the standard form is un sifflet, not une sifflet.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word