The Collaborative International Dictionary
Caterwaul \Cat"er*waul\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Caterwauled; p.
pr. & vb. n. Caterwauling.] [Cat + waul, wawl, to cry as a
cat.]
To cry as cats in rutting time; to make a harsh, offensive
noise.
--Coleridge.
Caterwauling \Cat"er*waul`ing\, n.
The cry of cats; a harsh, disagreeable noise or cry like the
cry of cats.
--Shak.
Wiktionary
n. A sound that caterwauls. vb. (present participle of caterwaul English)
Usage examples of "caterwauling".
I paused at the hatch, "That memo I wrote about the caterwauling bomb, sir.
And most important, if this caterwauling calls fish, how can we send a ship into a sector swarming with fish to find out if the bloody thing works, without risking the ship?
She slapped on the playback, turned up the volume, but he was caterwauling so loudly about Section 49 that he couldn't have heard it.
For even as the water closed over the dying Ship and First Granny told the children to stop their caterwauling and prepare to meet their Maker with their mouths shut and their eyes open, a wonderful thing happened.
Then, to shut up the renewal of Bilala's caterwauling, Sascha shot a strong silencing command compulsion on the hysterical woman.
She could almost hear the shrill caterwauling of the huge grid being tuned, smell the flek's distinctive odor.
The enemy, so long sought, was just standing there in scattered clumps on the hillside, caterwauling along with the irritating laka.
His expression was hard and unkind as he went on, "Instead of caterwauling and indulging in the vapours, perhaps you might like to assist Master Ned with his work of tending the wounded?
They clamored for America to be defeated, caterwauling about the ferocious Afghan fighters and proclaiming Afghanistan a Vietnam-style "quagmire.
Despite the caterwauling of liberal peace protesters, Reagan installed Pershing missiles in Europe.
But this time it is a nuptial darkness whose solemnity is marred by no caterwaulings, no Liebestods, no saxophones pleading for detumescence.