caterwaul

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Also found in: Thesaurus.

cat·er·waul

 (kăt′ər-wôl′)
intr.v. cat·er·wauled, cat·er·waul·ing, cat·er·wauls
1. To cry or screech like a cat in heat.
2. To make a shrill, discordant sound.
3. To have a noisy argument.
n.
A shrill, discordant sound.

[Middle English *caterwawlen : *cater, tomcat; akin to Low German kater + wawlen, wrawlen, to yowl (ultimately of imitative origin).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

caterwaul

(ˈkætəˌwɔːl)
vb (intr)
to make a yowling noise, as a cat on heat
n
a shriek or yell made by or sounding like a cat on heat
[C14: of imitative origin]
ˈcaterˌwauler n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cat•er•waul

(ˈkæt ərˌwɔl)

v.i.
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.
n.
4. the cry of a cat in rutting time.
5. any similar sound.
Also, cat′er•waul`ing.
[1350–1400; Middle English cater(wawen) (cater tomcat (< Middle Dutch) + wawen to howl, Old English wāwan to blow, said of the wind) + waul, variant of wail]
cat′er•waul′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

caterwaul


Past participle: caterwauled
Gerund: caterwauling

Imperative
caterwaul
caterwaul
Present
I caterwaul
you caterwaul
he/she/it caterwauls
we caterwaul
you caterwaul
they caterwaul
Preterite
I caterwauled
you caterwauled
he/she/it caterwauled
we caterwauled
you caterwauled
they caterwauled
Present Continuous
I am caterwauling
you are caterwauling
he/she/it is caterwauling
we are caterwauling
you are caterwauling
they are caterwauling
Present Perfect
I have caterwauled
you have caterwauled
he/she/it has caterwauled
we have caterwauled
you have caterwauled
they have caterwauled
Past Continuous
I was caterwauling
you were caterwauling
he/she/it was caterwauling
we were caterwauling
you were caterwauling
they were caterwauling
Past Perfect
I had caterwauled
you had caterwauled
he/she/it had caterwauled
we had caterwauled
you had caterwauled
they had caterwauled
Future
I will caterwaul
you will caterwaul
he/she/it will caterwaul
we will caterwaul
you will caterwaul
they will caterwaul
Future Perfect
I will have caterwauled
you will have caterwauled
he/she/it will have caterwauled
we will have caterwauled
you will have caterwauled
they will have caterwauled
Future Continuous
I will be caterwauling
you will be caterwauling
he/she/it will be caterwauling
we will be caterwauling
you will be caterwauling
they will be caterwauling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been caterwauling
you have been caterwauling
he/she/it has been caterwauling
we have been caterwauling
you have been caterwauling
they have been caterwauling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been caterwauling
you will have been caterwauling
he/she/it will have been caterwauling
we will have been caterwauling
you will have been caterwauling
they will have been caterwauling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been caterwauling
you had been caterwauling
he/she/it had been caterwauling
we had been caterwauling
you had been caterwauling
they had been caterwauling
Conditional
I would caterwaul
you would caterwaul
he/she/it would caterwaul
we would caterwaul
you would caterwaul
they would caterwaul
Past Conditional
I would have caterwauled
you would have caterwauled
he/she/it would have caterwauled
we would have caterwauled
you would have caterwauled
they would have caterwauled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.caterwaul - the yowling sound made by a cat in heatcaterwaul - the yowling sound made by a cat in heat
cry - the characteristic utterance of an animal; "animal cries filled the night"
Verb1.caterwaul - utter shrieks, as of catscaterwaul - utter shrieks, as of cats    
pipe, shriek, shrill, pipe up - utter a shrill cry
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

caterwaul

verb
To quarrel noisily:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

caterwaul

[ˈkætəwɔːl] VI [person] → aullar; [cat] → maullar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

caterwaul

vijaulen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

caterwaul

[ˈkætəˌwɔːl] vi (person, cat) → miagolare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
It was enough to raise your hair to hear that variegated and enormous unanimous caterwaul burst out!
Performances struggle to be heard above the din of Bear McCreary's orchestral score and a symphony of roars, screeches and caterwauls. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is the sole exception, using limited screen time to plumb the maelstrom of conflicting emotions of a resourceful 14-year-old, who is collateral damage in the feud between her parents.
Humour isn't always intentional, but a few crisp one-liners elicit chuckles like when one grief-stricken crew member caterwauls: "That living fossil ate my friend!" Leading man Jason Statham (pictured) glowers on cue and removes his shirt for a gratuitous topless scene to verify he is in excellent gym-toned shape even if his film is bloated.
The screams on songs such as "Kasam Rocket," "East" and "Femur" are so loud and prolonged that they practically seep into the background - massive caterwauls that seem to extend to infinity, all to the beat of enormous percussion.