apitar

Senses

1. 1.

   to blow a whistle

   to produce sound with a whistle, especially in sports to signal a foul or the end of play

2. 2.

   to honk, to beep

   to sound a horn or whistle (of a vehicle, train, etc.)

3. 3.

   to boss around, to give orders

   to tell someone what to do in an authoritative or annoying way (colloquial)

Examples

• "O árbitro apitou o fim do jogo."

  The referee blew the whistle to end the game.

• "O motorista apitou várias vezes para chamar atenção."

  The driver honked several times to get attention.

• "Ele vive apitando na empresa, achando que é o dono."

  He's always bossing people around at the company, thinking he's the owner.

Usage

Common in sports contexts, especially soccer (futebol), where "o juiz apitou" means the referee made a call. In colloquial speech, "apitar" can mean to give unwanted orders or meddle in others' business. The noun form is "apito" (whistle).