whistle-stop
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See also: whistlestop and whistle stop
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Named for the train whistle that is frequently blown before stopping in small towns.
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun[edit]
whistle-stop (plural whistle-stops)
- (idiomatic) A small train station.
- (politics) A brief stop on a campaign tour to make a speech or perform some other type of public electioneering.
Usage notes[edit]
- The unhyphenated spelling, whistle stop, is more common in political usage (except when used attributively). Although originally strictly a US term, it is now used in the UK and elsewhere.
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]
Adjective[edit]
whistle-stop (not comparable)
- (idiomatic) Extremely brief and hurried.
- We've only got 30 minutes at the stadium, so I'll give you a whistle-stop tour.
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]
Verb[edit]
whistle-stop (third-person singular simple present whistle-stops, present participle whistle-stopping, simple past and past participle whistle-stopped)
- (politics, intransitive) To make a brief stop on a campaign tour to make a speech or perform some other type of public electioneering.