mewl
/ˈmjuːl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.14 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "And one man in his time plays many parts, / His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, / Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; / Then the whining school-boy, […]"
- "You're a pretty clog to be tied to a man for life, you mewling, white-faced cat!"
- "My father started rubbing and rubbing on Mittens, scruffying her fur the wrong way, and she mewled her protests."
- "The neighbours’ cats stroll into my garden, mewling and hoping for a little bit of in flagrante. Honey bees brazenly assault the cherry blossom."
- "There would have been total silence if it hadn't been for the sea nearby, mewling. Indeed, that same mewl added to the sleepy image that filled the dormant house."
- "I let out another moaning mewl, biting my lip as I awaited whatever he planned."
Etymology
From 1599 or earlier (1530 in a Scottish document), apparently from Shakespeare with this spelling. Perhaps from Middle English mewen (“to whimper”) + -le (frequentative suffix).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- British English: /ˈmjuːl/