Definition of "steam-whistle" []

• A sounding device connected with the boiler of a steam-engine, either stationary, locomotive, or marine, for the purpose of announcing hours of work, signaling, etc. (noun)

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "Opened its white-fangy mouth and let out a steam-whistle scream-hiss-honk, people recoiling from the rail with deliciously shivery little squeals."
• "A bicycle brake caliper and cable control a steam-whistle valve, which unleashes the vapor in high-volume bursts that ignite as they pass an electric barbecue starter switch."
• "Besides containing the analogy of the steam-whistle that contributes nothing to the locomotive's work, this essay compares consciousness to the sound of the bell of a clock that has no role in keeping the time, and treats volition as a symbol in consciousness of the brain-state cause of an action."