caterwaul

ca·ter·waul
C3A1T1E1R1W4A1U1L1
UK/ˈkæt.ə.wɔːl/US/ˈkæt.ɚ.wɔl/cot caught merger/ˈkæt.ɚ.wɑl/

verb

To cry as cats in heat; to make a harsh, offensive noise.

Similar
yowl
OriginMiddle English caterwrawen →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

verbcaterwaul (third-person singular simple present caterwauls, present participle caterwauling, simple past and past participle caterwauled)

present singular third person caterwauls · participle present caterwauling · participle past caterwauled · past caterwauled

  1. intransitiveTo cry as cats in heat; to make a harsh, offensive noise.
  2. intransitiveTo have a noisy argument, like cats.
nouncaterwaul (plural caterwauls)

plural caterwauls

  1. A yowling.
  2. A noisy quarrel.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbutter shrieks, as of cats

Similar
yowl
Broader
shriekshrillpipe up
Also see
ululationyowl

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishcaterwrawen
  2. Englishcaterwaul

From Middle English caterwrawen, from cater (“cat”) + wrawen, wrawlen (“cry like a cat”), equivalent to cat + waul. Compare Low German katerwaulen (“to cry like a cat”) and Middle Dutch cater (“tomcat”) (Dutch kater).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian дра́кам се
  • дра́кам се (drákam se)to have a noisy argument
Czech vřeštět, vřískat
  • vřeštětto cry as cats
  • vřískatto cry as cats
  • ječetto cry as cats
  • ječetto have a noisy argument
Danish kattejammer
  • kattejammernoisy quarrel, particularly of cats
Dutch krollen
  • krollento cry as cats
Finnish mouruta
  • mourutato cry as cats
French feuler, faire du chahut
  • feulerto cry as cats
  • faire du chahutto have a noisy argument
German Katzenjammer
  • Katzenjammernoisy quarrel, particularly of cats
Hungarian nyivákol, nyávog
  • nyivákolto cry as cats
  • nyávogto cry as cats
Irish catachas
  • catachasnoisy quarrel, particularly of cats
Latin cauriō
  • cauriōto cry as cats
Polish miauczeć, miauknąć
  • miauczećto cry as cats
  • miauknąćto cry as cats
  • drzeć sięto have a noisy argument
  • burdanoisy quarrel, particularly of cats
Cite this entry
APA

caterwaul. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caterwaul

MLA

“caterwaul.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caterwaul. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “caterwaul,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/caterwaul.

Source: caterwaul on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.