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caterwaul - 5 dictionary results
cat⋅er⋅waul
[kat-er-wawl]
–verb (used without object)
| 1. | to utter long wailing cries, as cats in rutting time. |
| 2. | to utter a similar sound; howl or screech. |
| 3. | to quarrel like cats. |
–noun Also, cat⋅er⋅waul⋅ing.
| 4. | the cry of a cat in rutting time. |
| 5. | any similar sound. |
Origin:
1350–1400; ME cater(wawen) (equiv. to cater tomcat (< MD) + wawen to howl, OE wāwan to blow, said of the wind) + waul, var. of wail
1350–1400; ME cater(wawen) (equiv. to cater tomcat (< MD) + wawen to howl, OE wāwan to blow, said of the wind) + waul, var. of wail

Related forms:
cat⋅er⋅waul⋅er, noun
Synonyms:
2. wail, shriek, squawk, yowl.
2. wail, shriek, squawk, yowl.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To caterwaul
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Caterwaul
Cat"er*waul\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Caterwauled; p. pr. & vb. n. Caterwauling.] [Cat + waul, wawl, to cry as a cat.] To cry as cats in rutting time; to make a harsh, offensive noise. --Coleridge.Caterwaul
Cat"er*waul\, n. A caterwauling.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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caterwaul
c.1386, caterwrawet, perhaps from M.Du. cater "tomcat" + waul "to yowl," apparently from O.E. *wrag, *wrah "angry," of uncertain origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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