warble

WOTD – 14 May 2006    

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)bəl

Etymology 1

Verb

warble (third-person singular simple present warbles, present participle warbling, simple past and past participle warbled)

1. (transitive) to modulate a tone's frequency
2. (transitive) to sing like a bird, especially with trills.
3. (intransitive) To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Gay

     Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat.

Translations

to modulate a tone's frequency

to sing like a bird, especially with trills

• Japanese: さえずる (ja) (saezuru)
• Maori: wheko (mi)
• Russian: шебетать, заливаться, издавать трели

• Scottish Gaelic: ceileir (gd)
• Spanish: trinar (es)

Synonyms

• (to modulate a tone's frequency): trill

Noun

warble (plural warbles)

1. (military) In naval mine warfare, the process of varying the frequency of sound produced by a narrow band noisemaker to ensure that the frequency to which the mine will respond is covered.

Etymology 2

From Middle English werble, (at least for the noun) from Frankish werbel (mole cricket), cognate to Walloon waerbea.

Noun

warble (plural warbles)

1. A lesion under the skin of cattle, caused by the larva of a bot fly of genus Hypoderma.

Derived terms

• warble fly

Translations

lesion under the skin of cattle, caused by by the larva of a bot fly

• French: varron (fr), varon (fr)
• German: Dasselbeule (de)

• Walloon: waerbea (wa), waerbåd (wa)

Anagrams

• bawler