FreeScrabbleDictionary

howl

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
10
Words With Friends
10
Letters
4
Pronunciation
/ˈhaʊ̯l/
See all 3 pronunciations
/ˈhaʊ̯l/ · /ˈhæʊ̯l/ · /ˈhaːl/

Definition of howl

7 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. The protracted, mournful cry of a dog, wolf or other canid; also of other animals.
    “[T]he fox was out on love-adventures, abused his rivals, and uttered scoffing screams and howls.”
    “All at once the cat thrust her paw inside the ring again, but the tailor was quick as lightning and chopped the paw off. The cats set up a terrible howl, and away they rushed through the door as fast as they could.”
    “Dan was beginning to feel very depressed when suddenly the eerie howl of a dingo rang out[.]”
See all 7 definitions

noun

  1. The protracted, mournful cry of a dog, wolf or other canid; also of other animals.
    “[T]he fox was out on love-adventures, abused his rivals, and uttered scoffing screams and howls.”
    “All at once the cat thrust her paw inside the ring again, but the tailor was quick as lightning and chopped the paw off. The cats set up a terrible howl, and away they rushed through the door as fast as they could.”
    “Dan was beginning to feel very depressed when suddenly the eerie howl of a dingo rang out[.]”
  2. Any similar sound.
    “The howl of the wind”
  3. A prolonged cry of distress or anguish; a wail.

verb

  1. To utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do.
    “Methought a legion of foul fiends / Environ'd me about, and howled in my ears.”
    “VVhen ominus ſignes to ſhew themſelues began, / That novv at hand this monſtrous birth fore-ran: / About at noone flew the affrighted Ovvle, / And dogs in corners ſet them dovvne to hovvle: […]”
  2. To utter a sound expressive of pain or distress; to cry aloud and mournfully; to lament; to wail.
    “Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand.”
  3. To make a noise resembling the cry of a wild beast.
    “They howled with laughter at the prank.”
    “Wild howl'd the wind the forest glades along, / And oft the owl renew'd her dismal song; […]”
  4. To utter with outcry.
    “to howl derision”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English howlen, houlen, from Old English *hūlian, from Proto-West Germanic *hūilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hūwilōną, *hiuwilōną (“to howl”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kū-, *kew- (“to howl, scream”). Likely of imitative…

See full etymology

From Middle English howlen, houlen, from Old English *hūlian, from Proto-West Germanic *hūilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hūwilōną, *hiuwilōną (“to howl”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kū-, *kew- (“to howl, scream”). Likely of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian huulje (“to howl”), Dutch huilen (“to cry”), Romanian a hăuli (“to howl”), Old French ouler, German Low German hulen (“to howl”), German heulen (“to howl”), Danish hyle (“to howl”), Swedish yla (“to scream, yell”), Northern Luri آلٛیر (āłir, “howl”).

Anagrams of howl

1 play · some not in Scrabble

Words you can make from howl

9 playable · top: HOW (9 pts)

Best play how 9 points

3-letter words

3 words

2-letter words

5 words

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