Monday, December 31, 2007

Webster's new and improved

cat·er·waul /kæt-r-waal/kat-er-wawl/
–verb (used without object) 1. to utter long wailing cries, as cats in rutting time.
2. to utter a similar sound; howl or screech.
3. to quarrel like cats.
–noun Also, cat·er·waul·ing. 4. the cry of a cat in rutting time.
5. any similar sound.
------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME cater(wawen) (equiv. to cater tomcat (fr. MD) + wawen to howl, OE wāwan to blow, said of the wind) + waul, var. of wail]


—Related forms cat·er·waul·er, noun
—Synonyms 2. wail, shriek, squawk, yowl.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments Build Community! We thank you for yours. Spam comments are not welcome and will not be posted.