howl

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a long loud emotional utterance

   The dog let out a howl of pain.

2. 2
   noun

   a loud sustained noise resembling the cry of a hound

   The howl of the wind made the old house seem haunted.

3. 3
   verb

   make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles

   The wind was howling in the trees.

4. 4
   verb

   cry loudly, as of animals

   The coyotes were howling in the desert.

From Middle English howlen, houlen, from Old English *hūlian, from Proto-West Germanic *hūilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hūwilōną, *hiuwilōną (“to howl”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kū-, *kew- (“to howl, scream”). Likely of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian huulje (“to howl”), Dutch huilen (“to cry”), Romanian a hăuli (“to howl”), Old French ouler, German Low German hulen (“to howl”), German heulen (“to howl”), Danish hyle (“to howl”), Swedish yla (“to scream, yell”), Northern Luri آلٛیر (āłir, “howl”).

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images