dog whistle
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dog whistle
Where it comes from
dog + whistle. The figurative senses derive from the whistle's sound frequency, which is too high to be heard by human but can be heard by dogs.
noun dog whistles · dogwhistle
-
A high-pitched whistle, generally inaudible to humans, used to train dogs.
Similar: silent whistle, Galton's whistle
- That which is understood only by a narrow demographic. 2012, 22 March, Scott Tobias, AV Club Cabin Boyhttps://web.archive.org/web/20131029005716/http://www.avclub.com/articles/cabin-boy,71269/ But like a lot of these cult comedies, Cabin Boy was a dog whistle few could hear, and critics and audiences dismissed it quickly and forcefully: It left theaters
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A political allusion or comment that only a certain audience is intended to note and recognize the significance of; particularly in relation to controversial or extreme viewpoints.
On the lips of Premier Mike Harris, the term ‘special interest’ has the tone of epithet. It’s an all-purpose dog-whistle that those fed up with feminists, minorities, the undeserving poor hear loud and clear.
Similar: codeword
Translations
Every language
noun high-pitched whistle used to train dogs
| 中文 | 狗哨 gǒushào |
|---|---|
| Português | apito de cachorro |
| Deutsch | Hundepfeife |
noun political allusion or comment
| 中文 | 狗哨 gǒushào |
|---|---|
| Português | apito de cachorro, dog whistle |
| Deutsch | Hundepfeife |
Talk about this word "dog whistle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dog%20whistle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dog whistle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20whistle "dog whistle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20whistle.Cite this
@misc{dog_whistle_2026,
title = {dog whistle},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dog%20whistle},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
