definitions

skirling

[ skur-ling ]
/ ˈskɜr lɪŋ /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR skirling ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Scot. and North England.

the act of shrieking.

RELATED WORDS

blare, hiss, sound, signal, whine, warble, pipe, toot, whiz, wheeze, blast, shriek, fife, trill, tootle, flute, skirl

Nearby words

skippet, skipping, skipping-rope, skipton, skirl, skirling, skirmish, skirnir, skirr, skirret, skirt

Origin of skirling

First recorded in 1775–85; skirl + -ing1

Definition for skirling (2 of 2)

skirl

[ skurl ]
/ skɜrl /

verb (used without object)

to play the bagpipe.
Scot. and North England. to shriek.

noun

the sound of a bagpipe.
Scot. and North England. any shrill sound.

Origin of skirl

1350–1400; Middle English scirlen, skrillen (v.), perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian skrella boom, crash
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for skirling

British Dictionary definitions for skirling

skirl

/ (skɜːl, Scottish skɪrl) /

verb (intr)

Scot and Northern English dialect (esp of bagpipes) to emit a shrill sound
to play the bagpipes

noun

the sound of bagpipes
a shrill sound

Word Origin for skirl

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; see shrill
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