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Added 9 October 2026

howl

/ˈhaʊ̯l/ noun

In Latin: ululō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about howl at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A long loud emotional utterance.
he gave a howl of pain
The long plaintive cry of a hound or a wolf.
A loud sustained noise resembling the cry of a hound.
the howl of the wind made him restless

verb

Emit long loud cries.
wail in self-pity
Cry loudly, as of animals.
The coyotes were howling in the desert
Make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles.
The wind was howling in the trees

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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