Forms: 4 warbele, -bul, 5 -bell, varble, 4–6 werble, 4 -bele, -bul, 5 wherble, 6 Sc. verbille, -ble; 4– warble. [a. OF. werble: see WARBLE v.1] In early use, a tune or melody (perh. of some special kind) performed on an instrument or sung. Subsequently influenced by WARBLE v.1), the action or an act of warbling; gentle and melodious singing, esp. of birds.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 119. Nwe nakryn noyse with þe noble pipes, Wylde werbles & wyȝt wakned lote.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1033. Þough þe beste harpour vpon lyue Wolde … Touche ay o streng or ay o werbul [v.rr. warbul, -bele, -ble, werble, -bul] harpe.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 355. In þe whiche instrumentis … þey makeþ wel mery armonye and melody wiþ wel þicke tunes, werbeles, and notes.
c. 1400. Lydg., Chorle & Bird, xi. in Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 182 [Harl. MS. 116]. The soote sugred armonye Of uncouthe varblys and tunys drawen on longe. Ibid. (c. 1407), Reson & Sens., 1249. So as the Swan … Syngeth to forn his fatal day, With werbles ful of melodye.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xlv. Na mair I will thir verbillis sweit define.
c. 1590. J. Stewart, Poems (S.T.S.), II. 76. Quhair birds outbirstit doulcest verblis rair.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. xxv. 80. Damned Sathan! that with Orphean ayres, and dextrous warbles, lead’st vs to the Flames of Hell.
1742. Gray, Lett. to West, April. I give you thanks for your warble, and wish you could sing yourself to rest.
1757. Dyer, Fleece, I. 614. With ev’ry murmur of the sliding wave, And ev’ry warble of the feather’d choir.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xl. The strain was solemn and affecting, sustained as it was by the pathetic warble of a voice which had naturally been a fine one.
1834. Wordsw., Even. Volunt., v. 1. The linnet’s warble, sinking towards a close, Hints to the thrush ’tis time for their repose.
1868. Louisa M. Alcott, Little Women, ii. Hagar puts back the cup which holds the poison meant for Roderigo. Hugo, getting thirsty after a long warble, drinks it, loses his wits, [etc.].
transf. 1871. Tennyson, Last Tourn., 254. Quiet as any water-sodden log Stay’d in the wandering warble of a brook.
b. Manner of warbling.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 7. There shalt thou here and se all kindes of birdes ywrought, Well tune their voice with warble smal, as nature hath them tought.
1776. Burney, Hist. Mus., I. 191. A sound so much the more agreeable, as it is not monotonous, which is the case in the warble of most other birds.
1776–83. Justamond, trans. Raynal’s Hist. Indies, I. 307. Birds have a warble that is peculiar to them.
a. 1900. Dk. Argyll, Autob. & Mem. (1906), I. 202. The song of the willow-wren is too low a warble to attract general attention.
c. collect. The united sound of bird-songs.
1776. Pennant, Brit. Zool. (ed. 4), I. 314. Its notes are part of that time drowned in the general warble of the season.
1794. Mrs. Piozzi, Synon., I. 200. Whose destructive temper and disposition help to disturb the peace of the forest and the warble of the grove.
