a loud, deep cry or sound or a series of such sounds.
Veterinary Pathology. a disease of horses, caused by respiratory obstruction or vocal cord paralysis, and characterized by loud or rough breathing sounds.
adjective
making or causing a roar, as an animal or thunder.
brisk or highly successful, as trade: He did a roaring business selling watches to tourists.
characterized by noisy, disorderly behavior; boisterous; riotous: roaring revelry.
complete; utter; out-and-out: a roaring idiot; a roaring success.
adverb
very; extremely: roaring drunk.
Origin of roaring
before 1000;Middle Englishroryng (noun, adj.), Old Englishrarung (noun). See roar, -ing1, -ing2
Related formsroar·ing·ly, adverb
roar
[rawr, rohr]
verb (used without object)
to utter a loud, deep cry or howl, as in excitement, distress, or anger.
to laugh loudly or boisterously: to roar at a joke.
to make a loud sound or din, as thunder, cannon, waves, or wind.
to function or move with a loud, deep sound, as a vehicle: The automobile roared away.
to make a loud noise in breathing, as a horse.
verb (used with object)
to utter or express in a roar: to roar denials.
to bring, put, make, etc., by roaring: to roar oneself hoarse.
noun
a loud, deep cry or howl, as of an animal or a person: the roar of a lion.
a loud, confused, constant noise or sound; din; clamor: the roar of the surf; the roar of lively conversation from the crowded party.
a loud outburst: a roar of laughter; a roar of approval from the audience.
Origin of roar
before 900;Middle Englishroren (v.), Old Englishrārian; cognate with Old High Germanrēren to bellow
Related formsroar·er, nounout·roar, verb (used with object)un·der·roar·er, noun
informalvery brisk and profitable (esp in the phrase a roaring trade)
the roaring daysAustralianthe period of the Australian goldrushes
Irishderogatory, informal(intensifier)a roaring communist
adverb
noisily or boisterously (esp in the phrase roaring drunk)
noun
a loud prolonged cry
a debilitating breathing defect of horses characterized by rasping sounds with each breath: caused by inflammation of the respiratory tract or obstruction of the larynxCompare whistling
Derived Formsroaringly, adverb
roar
verb(mainly intr)
(of lions and other animals) to utter characteristic loud growling cries
(also tr)(of people) to utter (something) with a loud deep cry, as in anger or triumph
to laugh in a loud hearty unrestrained manner
(of horses) to breathe with laboured rasping soundsSee roaring (def. 6)
(of the wind, waves, etc) to blow or break loudly and violently, as during a storm
(of a fire) to burn fiercely with a roaring sound
(of a machine, gun, etc) to operate or move with a loud harsh noise
(tr)to bring (oneself) into a certain condition by roaringto roar oneself hoarse
noun
a loud deep cry, uttered by a person or crowd, esp in anger or triumph
a prolonged loud cry of certain animals, esp lions
any similar noise made by a fire, the wind, waves, artillery, an engine, etc
late 14c., present participle adjective from roar (v.). Used of periods of years characterized by noisy revelry, especially roaring twenties (1930); but also, in Britain, roaring fifties (1892). Roaring forties in reference to exceptional rough seas between latitudes 40 and 50 south, is attested from 1841.
roar
v.
Old English rarian "roar, wail, lament, bellow, cry," probably of imitative origin (cf. Middle Dutch reeren, German röhren "to roar;" Sanskrit ragati "barks;" Lithuanian reju "to scold;" Old Church Slavonic revo "I roar;" Latin raucus "hoarse"). Related: Roared; roaring.
