I. ˈwȯrbəl, ˈwȯ(ə)b-, NewEng & New York City often ˈwäb- noun
( -s )
Etymology: in sense 1, from Middle English werble, from Old North French, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German wirbel whirl, tuning peg, Old High German wirbil whirlwind — more at whirl; in other senses, from warble (III)
1.
a. : air , tune , melody ; especially : a joyful song : carol
b. : a melodious succession of low and pleasing sounds
a canary's warble
c. : a musical trill
2. : the action of warbling
3. : the art or manner of singing with trills, runs, or quavers
4. : a tone that is produced electronically usually by an oscillator and is varied in frequency cyclically over a fixed range
II. intransitive verb
Etymology: Middle English warbellen
of a hawk : to bring together or cross wings upon the back
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Old North French werbler, from werble air, modulation, warble
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to sing in a trilling manner or with many turns and variations : sing softly and quaveringly or with rapid modulations in pitch
b. archaic : to give forth the low murmuring sound of a running brook : babble
c. : to make or emit sounds with turns, variations, and rapid modulations in pitch
the bluebird warbled, the robin called — John Burroughs
2. : to become uttered, sounded, or produced with trills, quavers, and rapid modulations in pitch
3. : sing
transitive verb
1. : to sing or utter in a trilling or quavering manner : render with turns, runs, or rapid modulations : trill
moan and warble the latest cowboy songs — D.B.Davis
2. : to express by or as if by warbling : utter musically
boys to warble the praises of God — Norman Douglas
IV. intransitive verb
Etymology: origin unknown
obsolete : shake , vibrate
V. noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to obsolete Swedish varbulde boil, from var pus + bulde swelling; akin to Old English wearr callosity, weart wart and to Old English blāwan to blow — more at wart , blow
1. : a swelling under the hide especially of the back of cattle, horses, and various other mammals caused by the maggot of a botfly or warble fly
2. : the maggot of a warble fly