caterwaul

verb (used without object)

to utter long wailing cries, as cats in rutting time.

to utter a similar sound; howl or screech.

to quarrel like cats.

noun Also, cat·er·waul·ing.

the cry of a cat in rutting time.

any similar sound.

00:10

Caterwaul is one of our favorite verbs.

So is subtilize. Does it mean:

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English cater(wawen) (equivalent to cater tomcat (< Middle Dutch) + wawen to howl, Old English wāwan to blow, said of the wind) + waul, variant of wail

Related forms

cat·er·waul·er, noun

Synonyms
2. wail, shriek, squawk, yowl.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source

Link To caterwaul

Collins

World English Dictionary

caterwaul (ˈkætəˌwɔːl)

—vb
1.	to make a yowling noise, as a cat on heat

—n
2.	a shriek or yell made by or sounding like a cat on heat

[C14: of imitative origin]

'caterwauler

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

caterwaul

late 14c., caterwrawet, perhaps from M.Du. cater "tomcat" + waul "to yowl," apparently from O.E. *wrag, *wrah "angry," of uncertain origin.

Matching Quote

"... You can hear the small buzz saws whine, the big saw
Caterwaul to the hills around the village
As they both bite the wood. It's all our music.
One ought as a good villager to like it.
No doubt it has a sort of prosperous sound,
And it's our life."
"Yes, when it's not our death."

-Robert Frost

Remove ads like these. Upgrade now!

Related Words

caterpillar

gibber