Crossword clues for whispering
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Whisper \Whis"per\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whispered; p. pr. & vb. n. Whispering.] [AS. hwisprian; akin to G. wispern, wispeln, OHG. hwispal?n, Icel. hv[=i]skra, Sw. hviska, Dan. hviske; of imitative origin. Cf. Whistle.]
To speak softly, or under the breath, so as to be heard only by one near at hand; to utter words without sonant breath; to talk without that vibration in the larynx which gives sonorous, or vocal, sound. See Whisper, n.
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To make a low, sibilant sound or noise.
The hollow, whispering breeze.
--Thomson. -
To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.
All that hate me whisper together against me.
--Ps. xli. 7.
Whispering \Whis"per*ing\, a. & n. from Whisper. v. t.
Whispering gallery, or Whispering dome, one of such a form that sounds produced in certain parts of it are concentrated by reflection from the walls to another part, so that whispers or feeble sounds are audible at a much greater distance than under ordinary circumstances. The dome of the U. S. capitol building is one example.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
Old English hwisprung, verbal noun from hwisprian (see whisper (v.)).
Wiktionary
1 that whispers 2 associated with whispers n. Something that is whispered; gossip; a rumor. v
(present participle of whisper English)
WordNet
n. the light noise like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind [syn: rustle, rustling, whisper]
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords [syn: whisper, susurration]
Gazetteer
Wikipedia
Whispering is an unvoiced mode of phonation in which the vocal folds (vocal cords) are adducted so that they do not vibrate; air passes between the arytenoid cartilages to create audible turbulence during speech. Supralaryngeal articulation remains the same as in normal speech.
In normal speech, the vocal folds alternate between states of voice and voicelessness. In whispering, only the voicing segments change, so that the vocal folds alternate between whisper and voicelessness (though the acoustic difference between the two states is minimal). Because of this circumstance, there is currently no known possibility to use speech recognition successfully on a whispering person, as the characteristic spectral range needed to detect syllables and words is not given through the total absence of tone.
There is no symbol in the IPA for whispered phonation, since it is not used phonemically in any language. However, a sub-dot under phonemically voiced segments is sometimes seen in the literature, as for whispered should.
"Whispering" is a popular song by lyricists John Schoenberger (1892–1983) and Richard Coburn (pseudonym of Frank Reginald DeLong; 1886–1952) and composer Vincent Rose. "Whispering" was first published in 1920 by Sherman, Clay & Co., of San Francisco. The initial 1920 copyright and first publishing attributes the lyrics to Malvin Schonberger and the music to John Schonberger.
Usage examples of "whispering".
The three members of the agronomic team were there, sitting near Cathartes on the floor, whispering among themselves.
Lady Bellamy, robed as an Egyptian sorceress, and holding a letter in her hand, which she offered to Angela, whispering in her ear.
In the vision of the distances, where desert blent with sky, earth surely curving up to meet the downward curving heaven, the dimness was like a voice whispering strange petitions.
Orlando, the Blesser of Bethe Corbair, was the first there, whispering words of comfort.
A red silk curtain scented with rose oil, musk, sperm, rectal mucus, ozone and raw meat goes up on a hospital ward of boys covered with phosphorescent red blotches that glow and steam the fever smell off them, shuddering, squirming, shivering, eyes burning, legs up, teeth bare, whispering the ancient evil fever words.
The King was too much taken up with viewing the Person to whom he had been so complaisant, to take any Notice of such Whisperings.
Even worse than the whispering and the malaise that had struck her when she created the mannikin was the awful wiggling sensation against her abdomen.
An hour later he was trotting down a manzanita slope to his cabin, nestled in the cup of the hills, surrounded by the whispering firs.
He told her, whispering as Margery whispered to Miss Kelly when she talked of the First Wife.
She imagined him whispering nonsensical words, words of comfort and joy and love.
Hawk, Perd, and Marit had been whispering together, and suddenly all three turned and attacked Connor at the same time.
Sounds came from the edge of the world: a truck growling on the horizon, the whispering rumble of pronghorn antelope as they loped across the land, the howl of a coyote.
An interminable period of monotony lived in the eternal mists, swirling with sluggish dankness, enervating, miasmatic, pulsant with the secret whisperings of mephitic lifeforms.
Lady Rangle was claimed instantly by the ancient Earl of Silchester and began whispering to him.
At the hospital, his X ray had been misread and the three of us were sent home with reassurances, but Reamy and I knew so profoundly that something was wrong with our listless whispering child that we returned.