WHEEZE

I. intransitive verb (~d; wheezing) Etymology: 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 Date: 15th century to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound, to make a sound resembling that of wheezing , II. noun Date: 1800 a sound of wheezing, 2. an often repeated and widely known joke used especially by entertainers, a trite saying or proverb