warble
/ˈwɔːbl/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɔrbəl] /ˈwɔːrbl/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɔrbəl] /ˈwȯr-bəl How to pronounce warble (audio)/ (ame, mw)
warble — verb
- warblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- warbleshe / she / it
- warbledpast simple
- warbling-ing form
1. When a bird warbles, it produces a long series of sweet, musical notes that rise
When a bird warbles, it produces a long series of sweet, musical notes that rise and fall in a gentle, natural way.
Every morning at sunrise, a blackbird warbled outside Maeve's bedroom window.
warble + location phrase for scene-setting
The robin sat on the fence and warbled for almost ten minutes before flying away.
Astrid could hear finches warbling in the garden while she watered the plants.
In early spring, the woods are full of small birds warbling to attract a mate.
文法句型
warble (no object)
常見錯誤
2. To sing with many quick, small jumps between neighbouring notes, using a bright
To sing with many quick, small jumps between neighbouring notes, using a bright and raised tone that produces a rich, flowing musical effect.
The soprano warbled the difficult aria with breathtaking speed and control.
transitive: warble + [piece of music]
Darius tried to warble the folk song, but his voice cracked on the highest notes.
A nightingale warbled from the oak tree, its notes rising and falling in quick succession.
The elderly musician warbled an old ballad that nobody in the room had heard before.
- chant
singing on a single note or a very limited range, without variation
文法句型
warble + [song/aria]
warble (no object)
用法筆記
When used of human singers, this sense often carries a slightly old-fashioned or literary tone. It is more commonly applied to birds than to people.
常見錯誤
warble — noun
1. A long, pleasant musical sound made by a bird, consisting of a series of notes t
A long, pleasant musical sound made by a bird, consisting of a series of notes that rise and fall naturally.
The gentle warble of the sparrows helped Amelia relax after a long day of work.
the warble of + [bird] — typical possessive/definite pattern
James recorded the warble of a thrush with his phone so he could play it for his daughter.
From the kitchen, Chloe could hear the soft warble of a canary in the next room.
The bird's warble grew louder as the sun rose over the fields, waking everyone nearby.
文法句型
[possessive/definite article] + warble + of + [bird]
2. A hard, painful lump that forms under the skin of cows, horses, and other animal
A hard, painful lump that forms under the skin of cows, horses, and other animals, caused by the young form of the warble fly living inside the animal's body.
The farmer found a large warble on the back of one of his cows during the morning check.
find + warble + on + [body part] + of + [animal]
The veterinarian treated the warble by carefully removing the maggot from under the skin.
Cattle with warbles produce lower-quality leather because the lumps damage the hide.
The horse had a painful warble on its shoulder, so the owner called the vet right away.
文法句型
have/get/treat + (a) warble
用法筆記
This sense belongs almost entirely to veterinary and agricultural contexts. Most English speakers rarely encounter the word in this meaning.
3. The young, worm-like form of the warble fly that develops inside the body of cat
The young, worm-like form of the warble fly that develops inside the body of cattle and other mammals, living under the skin before turning into an adult fly.
Each warble eventually turns into an adult fly and lays eggs on the animal's fur.
life cycle: warble → adult fly
The vet used a small pair of forceps to remove the warble from the heifer's back.
Farmers try to prevent warbles by treating their cattle with special medicine in late summer.
Under a microscope, a warble looks like a small white worm with a dark head.
文法句型
warble + [verb phrase]
[quantity] + warbles
用法筆記
This sense is distinct from noun sense 2: sense 2 refers to the lump itself, while sense 3 refers to the maggot inside the lump. The two meanings are closely related and often used interchangeably by non-specialists.