# caterwaul

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈkæt.ə.wɔːl/

## Definitions
1. To cry as cats in heat; to make a harsh, offensive noise.
2. To have a noisy argument, like cats.

## Etymology
From Middle English caterwrawen, from cater (“cat”) + wrawen, wrawlen (“cry like a cat”), equivalent to cat + waul. Compare Low German katerwaulen (“to cry like a cat”) and Middle Dutch cater (“tomcat”) (Dutch kater).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/caterwaul