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Added 9 October 2026

wheeze

/ʍiːz/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wheeze at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Breathing with a husky or whistling sound.
(Briticism) a clever or amusing scheme or trick.
a clever wheeze probably succeeded in neutralizing the German espionage threat

verb

Breathe with difficulty.

Origin

From Middle English whesen, perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa (“to hiss”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to pant”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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