warble

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: war=ble

CIDE DICTIONARY

warble, n. [Cf. Wormil.].

•  A small, hard tumor which is produced on the back of a horse by the heat or pressure of the saddle in traveling.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Wormil.  [1913 Webster]

warble, v. t. [OE. werbelen, OF. werbler; of Teutonic origin; cf. G. wirbeln to turn, to warble, D. wervelen, akin to E. whirl. See Whirl.].

•  To sing in a trilling, quavering, or vibratory manner; to modulate with turns or variations; to trill; as, certain birds are remarkable for warbling their songs.  [1913 Webster]
•  To utter musically; to modulate; to carol.  [1913 Webster]

  "If she be right invoked in warbled song."  [1913 Webster]

  "Warbling sweet the nuptial lay."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to quaver or vibrate.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

warble, v. i. 

•  To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously.  [1913 Webster]

  "Such strains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat."  [1913 Webster]
•  To sing in a trilling manner, or with many turns and variations.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To sing with sudden changes from chest to head tones; to yodel.  [1913 Webster]

warble, n. 

 A quavering modulation of the voice; a musical trill; a song.  [1913 Webster]
"And he, the wondrous child,
Whose silver warble wild
Outvalued every pulsing sound."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

warble, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. sing in a gentle trilling manner.
2 tr. a speak or utter in a warbling manner. b express in a song or verse (warbled his love).
--n. a warbled song or utterance.

warble, n.
1 a hard lump on a horse's back caused by the galling of a saddle.
2 a the larva of a warble fly beneath the skin of cattle etc. b a tumour produced by this.

Idiom

warble fly any of various flies of the genus Hypoderma, infesting the skin of cattle and horses.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. uncert.

THESAURUS

warble

air, anthem, ballad, bark, bawl, bellow, blare, blat, blubber, boom, bray, breathe, buzz, cackle, call, carol, caw, chant, chatter, cheep, chirk, chirp, chirr, chirrup, chitter, choir, chorus, chuck, clack, cluck, cock-a-doodle-doo, coo, croak, cronk, croon, crow, cuckoo, descant, diapason, do-re-mi, drawl, drum, exclaim, flute, gabble, gaggle, gasp, gobble, growl, grunt, guggle, hiss, honk, hoo, hoot, hum, hymn, intonate, intone, keen, lay, lilt, measure, melodia, minstrel, mumble, murmur, mutter, pant, peep, pip, pipe, psalm, quack, quaver, roar, roll, roulade, rumble, scold, scream, screech, serenade, shake, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, sing in chorus, snap, snarl, snort, sob, sol-fa, solmizate, squall, squawk, squeal, strain, thunder, tremolo, trill, troll, trumpet, tune, twang, tweedle, tweedledee, tweet, twit, twitter, vocalize, wail, whine, whisper, whistle, yap, yawp, yell, yelp, yodel

ROGET THESAURUS

warble

Ululation

VB cry, roar, bellow, blare, rebellow, growl, snarl, bark, bow-wow, yelp, bay, bay at the moon, yap, yip, yipe, growl, yarr, yawl, snarl, howl, grunt, gruntle, snort, squeak neigh, whinny, bray, mew, mewl, meow, purr, caterwaul, pule, baa, bleat, low, moo, troat, croak, peep, coo, gobble, quack, honk, gaggle, guggle, crow, caw, squawk, screech cackle, cluck, clack, chuck, chuckle, hoot, hoo, chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, cuckoo, warble, trill, tweet, pipe, whistle, hum, buzz, hiss, blatter, ratatat.

Musician

VB play, pipe, strike up, sweep the chords, tweedle, fiddle, strike the lyre, beat the drum, blow the horn, sound the horn, wind the horn, doodle, grind the organ, touch the guitar, thrum, strum, beat time, execute, perform, accompany, sing a second, play a second, compose, set to music, arrange, sing, chaunt, chant, hum, warble, carol, chirp, chirrup, lilt, purl, quaver, trill, shake, twitter, whistle, sol-fa, intone, have an ear for music, have a musical ear, have a correct ear.