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warble

1
[ wawr-buhl ]
/ ˈwɔr bəl /
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See synonyms for: warble / warbled / warbling on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), war·bled, war·bling.
verb (used with object), war·bled, war·bling.
to sing (an aria or other selection) with trills, quavers, or melodious turns.
to express or celebrate in or as if in song; carol.
noun
a warbled song or succession of melodic trills, quavers, etc.
the act of warbling.
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Origin of warble

1
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”

Other definitions for warble (2 of 2)

warble2
[ wawr-buhl ]
/ ˈwɔr bəl /
noun Veterinary Pathology.
a small, hard tumor on a horse's back, produced by the galling of the saddle.
a lump in the skin of an animal's back, containing the larva of a warble fly.

Origin of warble

2
First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain; compare Middle Swedish varbulde “boil”

OTHER WORDS FROM warble

warbled, adjectiveun·war·bled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to warble

sing, chirp, trill, carol, quaver, yodel, chant, melody

How to use warble in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for warble (1 of 2)

warble1
/ (ˈwɔːbəl) /
verb
to sing (words, songs, etc) with trills, runs, and other embellishments
(tr) to utter in a song
US another word for yodel
noun
the act or an instance of warbling

Word Origin for warble

C14: via Old French werbler from Germanic; compare Frankish hwirbilōn (unattested), Old High German wirbil whirlwind; see whirl

British Dictionary definitions for warble (2 of 2)

warble2
/ (ˈwɔːbəl) /
noun vet science
a small lumpy abscess under the skin of cattle caused by infestation with larvae of the warble fly
a hard tumorous lump of tissue on a horse's back, caused by prolonged friction of a saddle

Derived forms of warble

warbled, adjective

Word Origin for warble

C16: of uncertain 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
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