Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
howdy
howe (1)
howe (2)
howe’er
however
howff
howitzer
howk
howl
howl down
howler
howler monkey
howling
howling dervish
Howrah
howsit
howsoever
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "howl" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

howl

howl [ howl ]


verb  (past and past participle howled, present participle howl·ing, 3rd person present singular howls)
Definition:
 
1. intransitive verb make whining sound: to make a long wavering or whining sound
a coyote howling

2. intransitive verb cry out: to cry out in pain, anger, or distress

3. transitive verb express loudly: to express an emotion or opinion loudly and forcefully
The crowd howled its disapproval.

4. intransitive verb roar with laughter: to laugh loudly and unrestrainedly ( slang )

5. intransitive verb carouse: to go on a spree ( slang )
out howling all night



noun  (plural howls)
Definition:
 
1. moaning cry: a long sad wavering cry

2. loud cry: a cry of pain, anger, or distress

3. drawn-out wavering sound: a long loud high wavering noise
the howl of the wind

4. something or somebody hilarious: an extremely funny person or thing ( slang )

[13th century. Probably an imitation of the sound]
Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft