Warble



GRE Barron

解释

GRE 红宝书

• v. ( 尤指鸟) 叫出柔和的颤音
• ［英］ v. ( 尤指鸟) 叫出柔和的颤音 ( [of a bird] sing; babble)

Webster Collegiate

I. noun

• Etymology: Middle English werble tune, from Old French (Picard dialect), from werbler to sing expressively, trill, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch wervelen to turn, Old High German wirbil whirlwind — more at whirl
• Date: 14th century
• 1. a melodious succession of low pleasing sounds
• 2. a musical trill
• 3. the action of warbling

II. verb (warbled; warbling)

• Date: 14th century
• intransitive verb
  • 1. to sing in a trilling manner or with many turns and variations
  • 2. to become sounded with trills, quavers, and rapid modulations in pitch
  • 3. sing
• transitive verb
  • to render with turns, runs, or rapid modulations ; trill

III. noun

• Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to obsolete Swedish varbulde boil, from var pus + bulde swelling
• Date: circa 1585
• 1. a swelling under the skin especially of the back of cattle, horses, and wild mammals caused by infestation with maggots of a botfly or warble fly
• 2. the maggot of a warble fly
• ? warbled adjective

---