I. ˈyau̇l, esp before pause or consonant -au̇əl verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English yowlen, youlen, probably of imitative origin
intransitive verb
1. : to utter a loud cry of grief, pain, or distress usually in a long and mournful fashion : wail , howl
the dog pacing the fence yowls at every step
the boy caught his finger in an office door and yowled — Daniel Lang
2. : to complain or protest with or as if with yowls
the children are yowling over who is going first
the Congressman yowls at his party for weak support
those conditions that guarantee … the right to yowl — Fortune
transitive verb
: to utter or express with or as if with yowls
the dog yowls his pain to the world
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English (Scots) yowle, from Middle English yowlen, youlen, v.
: a loud long mournful wail or howl (as of a dog or cat)
the familiar yowl that, taken up by the pack, is such melodious music — F.G.Turnbull
giving an occasional yowl of excitement — R.A.W.Hughes
wild, discordant yells and yowls — Broadway Magazine
the raucous yowl of a motorcar's horn — Hearst's