First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1wheeze
verb \ˈhwēz, ˈwēz\
: to breathe loudly and with difficulty
: to make a sound like a person who is breathing with difficulty
wheezedwheez·ing
Full Definition of WHEEZE
intransitive verb
1
: to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound
2
: to make a sound resembling that of wheezing <the bellows wheezed>
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Origin of WHEEZE
Middle English whesen, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hvæsa to hiss; akin to Old English hwǣst action of blowing, Sanskrit śvasiti he blows, snorts
2wheeze
noun
: the sound made by a person who is having difficulty breathing or a similar sound : the sound of wheezing
: a clever idea or joke
Full Definition of WHEEZE
1
: a sound of wheezing
2
a : an often repeated and widely known joke used especially by entertainers b : a trite saying or proverb
See wheeze defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WHEEZE
1800
WHEEZE Defined for Kids
1wheeze
verb \ˈhwēz, ˈwēz\
wheezedwheez·ing
Definition of WHEEZE for Kids
1
: to breathe with difficulty and usually with a whistling sound
2
: to make a whistling sound like someone having difficulty breathing
2wheeze
noun
Definition of WHEEZE for Kids
: a whistling sound like that made by someone having difficulty breathing
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