whistlestop
whistlestop Lexical Profile
whistlestop Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Involving a rapid series of brief visits or appearances at many different places, especially during a political campaign or promotional tour.
"The candidate embarked on a whistlestop tour of rural towns across the Midwest in the final week before the election."
• noun
North American A small, remote town or minor railway station at which trains stop only when signaled to pick up or discharge passengers.
"Growing up in a sleepy whistlestop along the prairie rail line, she dreamed of moving to a bustling metropolis."
A brief visit or public appearance in a small town, typically made by a politician during an election campaign.
"The governor's schedule included three whistlestops in agricultural counties before the evening debate."
• verb
North American To travel rapidly from one small town to another making brief public appearances, especially while campaigning for political office.
"She spent the autumn whistlestopping through swing districts to rally undecided voters."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in early 20th-century American English from the practice at rural railway stations where trains stopped only on signal, alerted either by a trackside flag or the locomotive's whistle.