Now dial. Forms: 4–5 wamel, wamle, (4 wemel, 5 wam(m)il, wamylle), 6 wambel, 5, 9 womble, 8 waumle, 9 wam(m)le, wammel, wamell, wemble, wommle, 4– wamble. [Prob. two or more verbs have coalesced. In sense 1 the word may correspond to Da. vamle to feel nausea, a frequentative formation on the Teut. root *wem-: *wam- (:—Indogermanic *wem-: *wom-; cf. L. vomĕre, Gr. Ϝεμ-, ἐμεῖν to vomit), whence MSw. vami nausea, vomul nauseous, Sw. vämja refl. to feel sick. A distinct root of identical form seems to be represented in senses 2–4, with which cf. Norw. vamla, vamra, to stagger, OHG. wimidôn, wamezzen to move, stir, mod.G. wimmeln swarm. In sense 5 there may be mixture of a metathetic form of WALM v.; on the other hand in some uses walm may be a metathesis of wamble.]
I. 1. intr. To be qualmish, feel nausea.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 300. For þat mote in his mawe [Jonah in the whale’s belly] mad hym, I trowe, Þaȝ hit lyttel were, hym wyth to wamel at his hert.
13[?]. W. de Bibbeswoorth, in Rel. Ant., II. 84/2. Wamblez, laumber.
a. 1400. Nominale (Skeat), 268. Hommie lambeie pur ordure. M. wemelith for fulthe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 515/1. Wamelon’, yn the stomake (wamlyn, P.), naus(e)o.
1456. Sir G. Hay, Gov. Princes, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 119. He that has a wayke calde stomak … oft tymis gantis and wambleis, bolkis, with hevy suollyn eyne.
c. 1480. Henryson, Cock & Jasp, xii. His hart wammillis wyse argument to heir.
1483. Cath. Angl., 407/2. To Wamylle, iliacare, navsiare.
1500. Ortus Vocab. (W. de W.), B b v. Nauseo … to wamble.
b. Of the stomach or its contents: To be felt to roll about (in nausea).
c. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 1617. A, howe my stomake wambleth! I am all in a swete.
1533. More, Answ. Poisoned Bk., I. xii. 43. Theyr fore fathers murmured in desert agaynst Moyses for manna, and sayed that theyr stomake wambled agaynst that lyght meate. Ibid. (1534), Treat. Passion, Wks. (1557), 1274/1. Scant was the fruite passed downe both theyr throtes, when it so began to wamble in their stomakes.
1611. Cotgr., Allecter, to wamble, as a queasie stomacke doth.
c. 1618. Fletcher, Mad Lover, I. i. When … your cold sallets without salt or vineger Be wambling in your stomachs.
1690. Dryden, Amphitryon, III. i. I was never good at swallowing Physick: and my Stomach wambles at the very thought of it.
1738. Swift, Love Poem fr. Phys., 12. My Bowels wambling make me spew.
1781. C. Johnston, Hist. J. Juniper, I. 148. This word … completely turned his stomach that had already begun to wamble at the sight.
1834. Landor, Exam. Shaks., Wks. 1853, II. 266/1. No wonder, Master Ephraim, thy entrails are moved and wamble.
c. transf. and fig. (Cf. 5.)
1591. Lyly, Endym., IV. ii. He is resolued to weep some three or foure payle-fuls, to auoyde the rume of loue that wambleth in his stomacke.
1624. Middleton, Game at Chess, IV. ii. [My soul] can digest a Monster, without cruditie, A Sin as weightie as an Elephant, And neuer wamble for ’t.
1667. Dryden & Dk. Newcastle, Sir M. Mar-all, V. ii. I have such a Plot;… Shall I speak, dear Warner? let me now; it does so wamble within me, just like a Clyster.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, II. i. 144. Vast Fires Subterranean … work and wamble in the Bowels of the Earth.
1828. Moir, Mansie Wauch, xxiii. [xxvi.] 350. I still saw the unleavened pride of womankind wambling within her.
1898. J. M. Cobban, Angel of Covt., xv. 168. The pains o’ love ’ll work and wommle in the inside of ye like a knot o’ adders!
II. 2. To turn and twist the body about, roll or wriggle about, roll over and over. Also with about, over, through. Also fig.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 3213. When þat litull chylde was leyde a-doune byfore þe tombe … He womblede & tomblede on bak & wombe.
1755. R. Forbes, Ajax, 20. I len’d him sik a dird, As laid him arselins on his back, To wamble o’ the yerd.
1819. [see WAME sb. 1].
1854. J. Wilson, Lett., in Mem. viii. (1859), 305. The cod-fish … laid their heads over each other’s shoulders, and wambled about like a set of puppy dogs.
1861. Fraser’s Mag., Dec., 756. I made an experiment on the log and found I could not get my chin six inches above the water level without wembling over.
1866. Blackmore, Cradock Nowell, xliii. He have left off talking now for two days only to moan and to wamble.
3. To roll about in walking; to go with an unsteady gait. Also fig.
1611. J. Davies (Heref.), Sco. Folly (Grosart), 43/1. ‘Neede makes the olde wife trot:’ Nay she but wambles.
1676–7. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1875, II. 500. I can not but wonder that … you should so soon begin to wamble, which is enough to discourage or turne giddy one of so weak a braine and experience. Surely, Brother, it is the best to steere steddy.
1822. Galt, Provost, xxxii. The abominable and irreverent creature was so drunk, that he wamblet to and fro over the drum, as if there had not been a bane in his body.
1862. G. H. Kingsley, Sport & Trav. (1900), 362. A long row of unfortunates are drawn up on each side of the quarter-deck, wombling and shambling and sniggering.
1893. W. S. Pasmore, Stories Devon & Cornw. (1900), 36. As us was gwain down awver Bodmin ’ill I zimmed tha ’oss begin to wommle ’bout a bet.
1894. Northumbld. Gloss., s.v., He wammelt up the stairs wi’ the seck o’ floor on iv his back, onyhoo.
b. Of things: To totter, waver; to move unsteadily, stagger, reel.
1589. Rider, Bibl. Scholast., I. 1614. To wamble, or wag to and fro, as a crooked arrow wil doe, being shot out of a bowe, vacillo, sinuo.
c. 1620. Z. Boyd, Zion’s Flowers (1855), 20. Like to a tower wambling on the sea.
1788. Picken, Poems, 161. How the warl’,… Hing’s waumlan at a tether I’ the air.
1825. J. Jennings, Observ. Dial. W. Eng., To Wammel, To Wamble, to move to and fro in an irregular and awkward manner; to move out of a regular course or motion. Applied chiefly to mechanical operations.
1896. Crockett, Grey Man, i. 7. His feet wambling one over the other like those of a mummer’s bear.
4. trans. To twist or turn (something) over and over; to turn (a thing) round or upside down.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 13. Let him hold it awaye a litle in the mouth, and wambel it round about in the mouth.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 23. Take … a farthing worth of flower to white him ouer and wamble him in.
1828. [W. Carr], Craven Gloss., Wamble, to roll the meat in the mouth, when too large to swallow.
1847. Halliwell, Wemble, to turn a cup upside down in token of having had enough tea. North.
1894. Northumbld. Gloss., s.v., He wammelt his shillin.
III. † 5. intr. Of water, the blood: To seethe, boil. = WALM v. 2, WALL v.1 2.
1636. Davenant, Wits, II. i. Now does my blood wamble. You, Sucket-eater! (Offers to follow her.)
1677. Coles, Dict. Eng.-Lat., To Wamble [as a pot] bullio.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Wamble, to rise up as seething Water does.
† 6. To swarm (with vermin): = WALL v.1 2 b. Obs. rare.
1485. Trevisa’s Higden (Rolls), V. 235 (Caxton). He wambled [earlier texts wallede, wellede] ful of wormes [L. uermibus scatens].
Hence Wambling vbl. sb. and ppl. a. Also Wamblingly adv.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VI. xx. (1495), 207. To moche meete encreasyth humours and postumes and makith wamlynges and spuynges.
1456. Sir G. Hay, Gov. Princes, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 124. Gif it hapnis the ony hert wamblyng, egirly tak a vomyt of water and vinager.
c. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 1620. Ofte tymes suche a wamblynge goth ouer my harte; Yet I am not harte seke.
1564–78. Bullein, Dial. agst. Pest. (1888), 45. Noisome and lothesomenesse of stomacke, wambelyng of the harte, pulse not equall.
1566. Drant, Horace, Sat., I. i. A v b. Confections sweete or tarte Theylle minge for the, such as beste lykes thy quasye wamblynge hearte.
1581. Studley, Seneca’s Hercules Œtæus, II. 193. For my sake Acheloe Did let his streaming bloud amid his wambling waues to floe.
1615. S. Ward, Coal fr. Altar, 78. If wee should make good their resemblances, how then should we please the stomacke of God? who hath indeede brooked and borne vs a long time, I doubt but wamblingly.
1649. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wand. Wonders West, 18. If any one be queasie, or doe feele a wambling in the Gizzard.
1680. Betterton, Revenge, V. ii. Yes faith have I [been in love], and have felt your Flames and Fires, and Inclinations, and Wamblings.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, II. ix. 283. Warmth … cast into a boyling Pot,… allayes the wambling of the Liquor.
1745. Baker, Don Quix., I. I. iv. 24. I perceive by the many and powerful wamblings of my Brain, that I shall soon fall a-sleep.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1768), IV. 124. I am amazed at the repetition of thy wambling nonsense.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitland Club), 128. We were obliged to cast anchor; which was no sooner done than every one fell a wameling as the ship did.
1859. H. Kingsley, G. Hamlyn, xlvii. I feel the queerest wambling in my innards, as we used to say in Devon, at the sight of so many old faces.
1893. Q. [Couch], Delect. Duchy, 217. Her reckoned you’d veel a wamblin’ in the stommick.
1908. Hardy, Dynasts, III. III. iii. The retreating-way, Along which wambling waggons since the noon Have crept in closening file.
