1. (v. i.) 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.

2. (n.) To make a low, sibilant sound or noise.

3. (n.) To speak with suspicion, or timorous caution; to converse in whispers, as in secret plotting.

4. (v. t.) To utter in a low and nonvocal tone; to say under the breath; hence, to mention privately and confidentially, or in a whisper.

5. (v. t.) To address in a whisper, or low voice.

6. (v. t.) To prompt secretly or cautiously; to inform privately.

7. (n.) A low, soft, sibilant voice or utterance, which can be heard only by those near at hand; voice or utterance that employs only breath sound without tone, friction against the edges of the vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages taking the place of the vibration of the cords that produces tone; sometimes, in a limited sense, the sound produced by such friction as distinguished from breath sound made by friction against parts of the mouth. See Voice, n., 2, and Guide to Pronunciation, // 5, 153, 154.

8. (n.) A cautious or timorous speech.

9. (n.) Something communicated in secret or by whispering; a suggestion or insinuation.

10. (n.) A low, sibilant sound.

advice alert alerting articulate aspirate aspiration bark bated breath bawl bellow blare blat blubber boom bray breath breathe breathy voice broad hint bruit brush buzz cackle canard caress caution chant chime chirp chorus clue come out with common talk communicate confide confide to contact convey coo crow cry cue cutaneous sense dash deliver disclose drawl drone droning emit entrust with information enunciate exclaim exhalation express feel feeling fingertip caress fizz fizzle flick fling off flute flying rumor formulate gabble gasp gentle hint gesture gibber gibbering give give confidential information give expression give out with give tongue give utterance give voice glance glimmer glimmering grapevine graze groan growl grunt hand-mindedness hearsay hint hiss howl idea afloat impart implication index indication inkling innuendo insinuation intimation jabber jibber keen kick kiss lambency lap latrine rumor let in on let next to let out lick light touch lilt lip little voice look low voice maffle maunder maundering mention privately moan monition mouth mouthing mumble mumbling murmur murmuration murmuring mussitate mutter muttering news stirring nod nudge office on-dit out with pant passing word phonate phrase pipe pointer pour forth present prompt pronounce put forth put hep put in words put next to raise report roar roorback rub rumble rumor say scent scream screech scuttlebutt sense of touch set forth shade shriek sibilate sigh sign signal sing sizzle snap snarl snort sob soft voice sough sound soupcon speak incoherently splutter spoor sputter squall squawk squeal stage whisper steer still small voice stroke suggestion suspicion susurrate susurration susurrus swish symptom tactile sense taction take aside talk tap tell tell confidentially telltale tentative poke throw off thunder tinge tip tip off tip-off touch town talk trace track trumpet twang unconfirmed report underbreath undertone utter verbalize vocalize voice wail warble warning wheeze whiff whine whispering whistle whiz whoosh wink word yap yawp yell yelp