whistle-stop
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 (AU) (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.