yowl

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal)
  2. verb cry loudly, as of animals
  3. verb utter shrieks, as of cats

Etymology

From Middle English youlen, goulen, from Old Norse gaula (“to low, bellow, howl, scream”), related to Icelandic gaula (“to yell, howl, roar”), Faroese geyla (“to bawl, squall, shout, yell, bellow”), Norwegian gaule (“to roar, howl, whine, weep noisily”), dialectal Swedish gjöla, Scots gowl (“to howl, yell, roar”), Shetlandic Scots gjol. Initial y- possibly influenced by Middle English yollen, yellen (“to yell”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

bellow, bellowing, holla, holler, hollering, hollo, holloa, roar, roaring

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