warble
war·ble (wôr′bəl)
transitive verb warbled -·bled, warbling -·bling
- to sing (a song, notes, etc.) melodiously, with trills, quavers, runs, etc., as a bird does
- to express in song
Etymology: ME werblen < NormFr werbler < Frank *wirbilon, akin to Ger wirbeln, to whirl, warble
intransitive verb
- to sing melodiously, with trills, etc.
- to make a musical sound; babble, as a stream does
- ☆ yodel
noun
- the act of warbling
- a warbling sound; trill
war·ble (wôr′bəl)
noun
- a small, hard tumor on the back of a horse, caused by the rubbing and pressing of a saddle
- a lump or swelling under the hide of an animal, esp. on the back, caused by the presence of a larva of a botfly, esp. a warble fly
Etymology: prob. < Scand, as in obs. Swed varbulde, a boil < var, pus + bulde, tumor
Related Forms:
- warbled war′·bled adjective
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Browse dictionary definitions near warble
Share on Facebook