▪ I. pule, v.
(pjuːl)
Also 6 pewle, puil, peule.
[In 16th c. also pewle, peule, perh. ad. F. piaule-r (16th c. pioler in Littré), dial. piouler, piuler, to cheep, chirp, whine = It. pigolare, Neap. piolare to cheep as a chicken; of echoic origin. But the Eng. may be merely parallel to the French.]
1. intr. To cry in a thin or weak voice, as a child; to whine, to cry in a querulous tone.
| 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. xiv. Wks. 1182/2 Yet canne thys peuyshe gyrle neuer ceace whining and pulyng for fear. 1556 Olde Antichrist 148 Ye soules that lye pewling in the paynles paynes of his pikepurce purgatoire. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. iii. Wks. 1856 I. 41 We wring our selves into this wretched world, To pule, and weepe, exclaime, to curse and raile. 1633 Ford Broken H. v. ii, Wherefore should I pule, and, like a girl, Put finger in the eye? 1713 Steele Guardian No. 151 ¶1 When he is puling for bohea tea and cream. 1877 Mrs. Forrester Mignon I. 39 Don't come puling to me when it's too late. |
2. To pipe plaintively, as a chicken, or the young of any animal; also said of the cry of the kite.
| 1598 Florio, Vulpare, to crie or pule like a kite. 1611 Cotgr., Pepier, to peepe, cheepe, or pule, as a young bird in the neast. Ibid., Piauler,..to pule, or howle (as a young whelpe). 1631 R. H. Arraignm. Whole Creature v. 40 Hunger..makes the Lyons roare,..the Chicke chirpe, the Kite pule. 1725 Bradley's Fam. Dict. s.v. Poultry, In case she hears any one pule, she must presently see if the little Animal does not require some Help to get out of the Shell. |
3. trans. To utter or say (something) in a whining or querulous tone.
| 1535 Goodly Primer, Dirige (1848) 232 We have..piteously puled forth, a certain sort of psalms..for the souls of our Christian brethren and sisters. 1594 Drayton Idea v. 6, I say, You Love, you peule me out a No. 1648 Herrick Hesper., Temple 43 A second [puppet priest] pules, ‘Hence, hence profane’. 1812 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XXXIV. 235 In limbo pent it pules a curse. |
† 4. intr. To pine or waste away. Cf. puling 2.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 214 All other kinde of Cattell when they are sicke consume and pule away by little and little, onely Goates perish suddenly. |
▪ II. pule, n.
[f. pule v.]
The action of puling; whining or plaintive utterance; a whine.
| 1893 F. Espinasse Lit. Recoll. ix. 367 The melancholy book..made by Matthew Arnold the theme of some of his melodious pule. |
▪ III. pule
obs. f. pillow; Sc. var. pool n.1