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”

Example Sentences

The frontman seems to somehow anchor the rhythmic chaos, warbling words that swerve wildly between incisiveness and irreverence; wisdom and wonderful nonsense.

From BBC

Tick the paddle shifter, the wailing revs slip slightly—a kind of warble—then head through the roof again.

From The Wall Street Journal

The warbling never improved, but it was heartening to see someone get over their paralyzing self-consciousness.

From Los Angeles Times

It sounds fantastic, and it’s so loyal to every jaunty warble that audiences might not notice.

From Los Angeles Times

De Veer’s version of the theme eventually made it on-air for the inaugural season of “White Lotus” in 2021 and — thanks in part to its famous warbled war cries — quickly became a hit among fans.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chirp
• trill