Adjacent Words

Warble definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WARBLE, v.t. [G., to turn, whirl, warble; a whirl, a vortex; a turning bone or joint, L.]
1. To quaver a sound or the voice; to modulate with turns or variations. Certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.
2. To cause to quaver.
And touch the warbled string.
3. To utter musically; to be modulated.
If she be right invokd with warbled song.
Warbling sweet the nuptial lay.
WARBLE, v.i.
1. To be quavered or modulated.
Such strains neer warble in the linnets throat.
2. To be uttered melodiously; as warbling lays.
For warbling notes from inward cheering flow.
3. To sing.
Birds on the branches warbling.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a lumpy abscess under the hide of domestic mammals caused by larvae of a botfly or warble fly v
1: sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below [syn: warble, trill, quaver]
2: sing by changing register; sing by yodeling; "The Austrians were yodeling in the mountains" [syn: yodel, warble, descant]

Merriam Webster's

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

U.S. Military Dictionary

(*) In naval mine warfare, the process of varying the frequency of sound produced by a narrow band noisemaker to ensure that the frequency to which the mine will respond is covered.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. 1 intr. & tr. sing in a gentle trilling manner. 2 tr. a speak or utter in a warbling manner. b express in a song or verse (warbled his love). --n. a warbled song or utterance. Etymology: ME f. ONF werble(r) f. Frank. hwirbilon whirl, trill 2. n. 1 a hard lump on a horse's back caused by the galling of a saddle. 2 a the larva of a warble fly beneath the skin of cattle etc. b a tumour produced by this. Phrases and idioms: warble fly any of various flies of the genus Hypoderma, infesting the skin of cattle and horses. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. uncert.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Warble War"ble, n. A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song. And he, the wondrous child, Whose silver warble wild Outvalued every pulsing sound. --Emerson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Warble War"ble, n. [Cf. Wormil.] 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 horses, cattle, etc. Called also warblet, warbeetle, warnles. 2. (Zo["o]l.) See Wormil.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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.] 1. To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs. 2. To utter musically; to modulate; to carol. If she be right invoked in warbled song. --Milton. Warbling sweet the nuptial lay. --Trumbull. 3. To cause to quaver or vibrate. ``And touch the warbled string.'' --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Warble War"ble, v. i. 1. To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously. Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat. --Gay. 3. To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations. ``Birds on the branches warbling.'' --Milton. 3. To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to yodel.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wormil Wor"mil, n. [Cf. 1st Warble.] 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. Domestic cattle are often infested by a large species. See Gadfly. Called also warble, and worble. [Written also wormal, wormul, and wornil.] 2. (Far.) See 1st Warble, 1 (b) .

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(warbles, warbling, warbled) 1. When a bird warbles, it sings pleasantly. The bird continued to warble... A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus. VERB: V, V n 2. If someone warbles, they sing in a high-pitched, rather unsteady voice. She warbled as she worked. ...singers warbling 'Over the Rainbow'. VERB: V, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Sing (with turns or trills like a bird), trill. 2. Hymn, carol, chant, hum, utter musically, modulate. 3. Cause to quaver, vibrate.

Moby Thesaurus

air, anthem, ballad, bark, bawl, bellow, blare, blat, blubber, boom, bray, breathe, buzz, cackle, call, carol, caw, chant, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, choir, chorus, chuck, clack, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, coo, croak, cronk, croon, crow, cuckoo, descant, diapason, do-re-mi, drawl, drum, exclaim, flute, gabble, gaggle, gasp, gobble, growl, grunt, guggle, hiss, honk, hoo, hoot, hum, hymn, intonate, intone, keen, lay, lilt, measure, melodia, minstrel, mumble, murmur, mutter, pant, peep, pip, pipe, psalm, quack, quaver, roar, roll, roulade, rumble, scold, scream, screech, serenade, shake, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, sing in chorus, snap, snarl, snort, sob, sol-fa, solmizate, squall, squawk, squeal, strain, thunder, tremolo, trill, troll, trumpet, tune, twang, tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, vocalize, wail, whine, whisper, whistle, yap, yawp, yell, yelp, yodel