I. ˈjaŋgəl, ˈjaiŋ- verb
( jangled ; jangled ; jangling -g(ə)liŋ ; jangles )
Etymology: Middle English janglen, from Old French jangler, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch jangelen to grumble, whine, haggle, janken to yelp, whine, squeal, German dialect jangeln to talk in a whining manner
intransitive verb
1. archaic : to talk idly : babble , chatter
some … have turned aside unto vain jangling — 1 Tim 1:6 (Authorized Version)
2. : to quarrel in words : altercate , wrangle
must jangle till at last we fought — A.E.Housman
3. : to sound harshly or discordantly
the alarm clock jangled loudly
transitive verb
1. : to utter or sound discordantly or in a babbling or chattering way
the telephone jangled a summons
2.
a. : to cause to sound harshly or inharmoniously
jangle a bunch of keys
b. : to excite to tense and discordant irritation
the whimsy that had sometimes jangled the nerves of American newsmen — John Lardner
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Old French, from jangler
1. : idle talk : chatter , babble
his eternal jangle about being the average father of an average American family — Louis Auchincloss
2. : noisy altercation : contention , wrangling
she hated … a shrill squabble of shrews, a degrading jangle between servant and mistress — Jean Stafford
3. : discordant sound : a confused ringing
music that seemed to be a chaotic jangle
the jangle of sleigh bells
: discord
a haven of calm amid the jangle of modern civilization