caterwaul
[ kat-er-wawl ]
/ ˈkæt ərˌwɔl /
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.
Words nearby caterwaul
caterina, catering, caterpillar, caterpillar flap, caterpillar hunter, caterwaul, cates, catesby, catfall, catfight, catfish
Origin of caterwaul
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
OTHER WORDS FROM caterwaul
cat·er·waul·er, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Examples from the Web for caterwaul
British Dictionary definitions for caterwaul
caterwaul
/ (ˈkætəˌwɔːl) /
verb (intr)
to make a yowling noise, as a cat on heat
noun
a shriek or yell made by or sounding like a cat on heat
Derived forms of caterwaul
caterwauler, nounWord Origin for caterwaul
C14: of imitative origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012