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caterwauling

cat·er·waul
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [kat-er-wawl]
    • /ˈkæt ərˌwɔl/
    • /ˈkæt.ə.wɔːl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kat-er-wawl]
    • /ˈkæt ərˌwɔl/

Definitions of caterwauling word

  • noun caterwauling the shrieking and yowling made by a cat, for example when it is on heat or fighting 3
  • noun caterwauling similar unpleasant noises made by a person 3
  • verb without object caterwauling to utter long wailing cries, as cats in rutting time. 1
  • verb without object caterwauling to utter a similar sound; howl or screech. 1
  • verb without object caterwauling to quarrel like cats. 1
  • noun caterwauling the cry of a cat in rutting time. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of caterwauling

First appearance:

before 1350
One of the 20% oldest English words
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

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Caterwauling

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

caterwauling popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 51% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

caterwauling usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for caterwauling

adjective caterwauling

  • tuneless — unmelodious; unmusical.
  • stridulous — Also, stridulant. making or having a harsh or grating sound.
  • squawky — unpleasantly discordant or harsh in sound; cacophonous.
  • off-key — deviating from the correct tone or pitch; out of tune.

noun caterwauling

  • sonance — the condition or quality of being sonant.
  • lamentation — the act of lamenting or expressing grief.
  • noise — sound, especially of a loud, harsh, or confused kind: deafening noises.
  • boisterous — Someone who is boisterous is noisy, lively, and full of energy.
  • uproarious — characterized by or in a state of uproar; tumultuous.

Top questions with caterwauling

  • what is caterwauling?
  • what does caterwauling mean?
  • why is my cat caterwauling?

See also

Matching words

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