Origin of bawl
1400–50; late Middle English < Medieval Latin baulāre to bark < Germanic; compare Old Norse baula to low, baula cow, perhaps a conflation of belja (see bell2) with an old root *bhu-
Related forms
bawl·er, nounout·bawl, verb (used with object)Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for bawl
British Dictionary definitions for bawl
bawl
/ (bɔːl) /
verb
(intr) to utter long loud cries, as from pain or frustration; wail
to shout loudly, as in anger
noun
a loud shout or cry
Derived Forms
bawler, nounbawling, nounWord Origin for bawl
C15: probably from Icelandic baula to low; related to Medieval Latin baulāre to bark, Swedish böla to low; all of imitative origin
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