warble
- warble
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I. noun
Etymology: Middle English werble tune, from Old French (Picard dialect), from werbler to sing expressively, trill, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch wervelen to turn, Old High German wirbil whirlwind — more at whirl
Date: 14th century
1. a melodious succession of low pleasing sounds
2. a musical trill
3. the action of warbling
II. verb
(warbled; warbling)
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1. to sing in a trilling manner or with many turns and variations
2. to become sounded with trills, quavers, and rapid modulations in pitch
3. sing
transitive verb
to render with turns, runs, or rapid modulations ; trill
III. noun
Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to obsolete Swedish varbulde boil, from var pus + bulde swelling
Date: circa 1585
1. a swelling under the skin especially of the back of cattle, horses, and wild mammals caused by infestation with maggots of a botfly or warble fly
2. the maggot of a warble fly
• warbled adjective
New Collegiate Dictionary.
2001.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
warble — warble1 [wôr′bəl] vt. warbled, warbling [ME werblen < NormFr werbler < Frank * wirbilon, akin to Ger wirbeln, to whirl, warble] 1. to sing (a song, notes, etc.) melodiously, with trills, quavers, runs, etc., as a bird does 2. to express in… … English World dictionary
Warble — War ble, v. i. 1. To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously. [1913 Webster] Such strains ne er warble in the linnet s throat. Gay. [1913 Webster] 3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations. Birds on the… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Warble — War ble, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Warbled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Warbling}.] [OE. werbelen, OF. werbler; of Teutonic origin; cf. G. wirbeln to turn, to warble, D. wervelen, akin to E. whirl. See {Whirl}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To sing in a trilling,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Warble — War ble, n. A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song. [1913 Webster] And he, the wondrous child, Whose silver warble wild Outvalued every pulsing sound. Emerson. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Warble — War ble, n. [Cf. {Wormil}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Far.) (a) A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in traveling. (b) A small tumor produced by the larv[ae] of the gadfly in the backs of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
warble — (v.) c.1300, from O.N.Fr. werbler to sing with trills and quavers, from Frank. *werbilon (Cf. O.H.G. wirbil whirlwind, Ger. Wirbel whirl, whirlpool, tuning peg, vertebra, M.Du. wervelen to turn, whirl ); see WHIRL (Cf. whirl). The noun meaning… … Etymology dictionary
warble — vb *sing, troll, carol, descant, trill, hymn, chant, intone … New Dictionary of Synonyms
warble — ► VERB 1) (of a bird) sing softly and with a succession of constantly changing notes. 2) (of a person) sing in a trilling or quavering voice. ► NOUN ▪ a warbling sound or utterance. ORIGIN Old French werbler; related to WHIRL(Cf. ↑whirl) … English terms dictionary
warble — UK [ˈwɔː(r)b(ə)l] / US [ˈwɔrb(ə)l] verb Word forms warble : present tense I/you/we/they warble he/she/it warbles present participle warbling past tense warbled past participle warbled 1) [intransitive/transitive] humorous to sing, especially in a … English dictionary
warble — [[t]wɔ͟ː(r)b(ə)l[/t]] warbles, warbling, warbled 1) VERB When a bird warbles, it sings pleasantly. The bird continued to warble... [V n] A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus. 2) VERB If someone warbles, they sing in a… … English dictionary
warble — Wormil Wor mil, n. [Cf. 1st {Warble}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) Any botfly larva which burrows in or beneath the skin of domestic and wild animals, thus producing sores. They belong to various species of {Hypoderma} and allied genera.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
