miaul, v.
(mɪˈɔːl)
Forms: 7 meawle, miol, 8 meaul, 9 mioul, miaul.
[ad. F. miauler, of echoic origin. (The form meawle perh. belongs to mewl.)]
1. intr. To call or cry as a cat; to mew.
| 1632 Sherwood, To meaw, or meawle (as a cat), miauler. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 8 Nov., The poor animal [a cat]..meauled. 1824 Scott St. Ronan's xxii, Lady Penelope is miauling like a starved cat. 1859 H. Kingsley G. Hamlyn II. 71 Domestic cats may mioul in the garden at night. 1886 R. F. Burton Arab. Nts. I. 134 A black tom-cat, which miauled and grinned and spat. |
2. trans. To sing with a voice like that of a cat.
| 1862 Wraxall Hugo's Misérables iii. xxii. (1877) 11 Her tom-cat, who might have miauled the Allegri Miserere. 1866 G. Meredith Vittoria xii, The boy..concluded by miauling ‘Amalia’ in the triumph of contempt. |
Hence miˈauling vbl. n. and ppl. a. Also miˈauler, a cat.
| 1632 Meawler, meawling [see miaower, miaowing]. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xiii. 107 The..mumbling of Rabets,..humming of Wasps, mioling of Tygers, bruzzing of Bears. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xxxiii, I mind a squalling woman no more than a miauling kitten. 1884 Graphic Christmas No. 4/1 He..sang in a shrill miawling treble. 1885 Ibid. 3 Jan. 7/1 While Bully is asleep the marauding miaulers come and appropriate his bone. 1885 Punch 13 June 280/1 Hark the..miauling of Cats. |