[wheeze] vi wheezed ; wheez.ing [ME whesen, prob. of Scand origin; akin to ON hvaesa to hiss; akin to OE hwaest action of blowing, Skt svasiti he blows, snorts] (15c) 1: to breathe with difficulty usu. with a whistling sound
2: to make a sound resembling that of wheezing
[2]wheeze n (1834) 1: a sound of wheezing
2. a: an often repeated and widely known joke used esp. by entertainers b: a trite saying or proverb