warble

¹ American  

[wawr-buhl] / ˈwɔr bəl /

verb (used without object)

warbled, warbling

1. to sing or whistle with trills, quavers, or melodic embellishments.

   The canary warbled most of the day.

2. to yodel.

3. (of electronic equipment) to produce a continuous sound varying regularly in pitch and frequency.

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verb (used with object)

warbled, warbling

1. to sing (an aria or other selection) with trills, quavers, or melodious turns.

2. to express or celebrate in or as if in song; carol.

noun

1. a warbled song or succession of melodic trills, quavers, etc.

2. the act of warbling.

warble ² American  

[wawr-buhl] / ˈwɔr bəl /

noun

Veterinary Pathology.

1. a small, hard tumor on a horse's back, produced by the galling of the saddle.

2. a lump in the skin of an animal's back, containing the larva of a warble fly.

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warble ¹ British  

/ ˈwɔːbəl /

verb

1. to sing (words, songs, etc) with trills, runs, and other embellishments

2. (tr) to utter in a song

3. another word for yodel

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noun

1. the act or an instance of warbling

warble ² British  

/ ˈwɔːbəl /

noun

1. a small lumpy abscess under the skin of cattle caused by infestation with larvae of the warble fly

2. a hard tumorous lump of tissue on a horse's back, caused by prolonged friction of a saddle

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Other Word Forms

• unwarbled
  adjective
• warbled
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of warble¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun werble, warble “a tune,” from Old North French, from Germanic; compare Old High German werbel “something that turns”

Origin of warble²

First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain; compare Middle Swedish varbulde “boil”

Explanation

To warble is to sing in an uneven, quavering voice. You won't win any singing contests if you warble the songs. Think of the class of song birds known as warblers. They have great songs, but they don't sound quite human. They trill, whistle, vibrate and constantly change pitch. That's a warble. Done well, a human warble can be as engaging as it is difficult. But an old lady with unsteady lungs and vocal chords may also warble, and it is neither deliberate nor very pleasing to the ears.

Example Sentences

Brennan Warble, who headed institutional sales, and James Boyle, who ran equity derivatives with Kurtzman, left in October of last year.

From BusinessWeek • Jan. 3, 2011

From a tray brought by a footman, Warble selected a fuzzy caterpillar and turning quickly dropped it down inside the soft collar of Trymie Icanspoon, a poet, who would dress as he pleased.

From Ptomaine Street by Wells, Carolyn

"Are you of the cognoscenti?" asked Faith Loveman of Warble.

From Ptomaine Street by Wells, Carolyn

Claim'd in our mournful bitterness of anguish Songs and unseason'd madrigals of joyance— 'Sing the sweet-temper'd carols that ye wont to Warble in Zion.'

From Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 97, September 6, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Various

Warble of her that is my love Where'er on pinions light ye rove Haw!

From Our Admirable Betty A Romance by Farnol, Jeffery

Related Words

• chirp
• trill