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Whistler, James Abbott McNeill 1834-1903.
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American painter whose subtle coloring and tonal harmony were influenced by musical aesthetics and Japanese art. His works include a portrait of his mother, entitled Arrangement in Grey and Black (1871).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Whis·tler (wĭslər, hwĭs-)
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A town of southwest British Columbia, Canada, north-northeast of Vancouver. It is a popular ski area and mountain resort.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
whis·tler (wĭslər, hwĭs-)
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n.
1. One that whistles: a whistler of popular tunes.
2.
a. A marmot (Marmota caligata) of the mountains of northwest North America, having a grayish coat and a shrill, whistling cry.
b. Any of various birds that produce a whistling sound.
c. A horse having a respiratory disease characterized by wheezing.
3. Physics A very-low-frequency electromagnetic wave of 1 to 30 kilohertz produced by atmospheric disturbances such as lightning and having a characteristically decreasing frequency responsible for a whistling sound in detection equipment.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.