gurgle
English
WOTD – 6 July 2009
Etymology
Back formation from Middle English gurguling (“a rumbling in the belly”). Akin to Middle Dutch gorgelen (“to gurgle”), Middle Low German gorgelen (“to gurgle”), German gurgeln (“to gargle”), and perhaps to Latin gurguliō (“throat”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡɜː.ɡl̩/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡɝ.ɡl̩/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ɡəl
Verb
gurgle (third-person singular simple present gurgles, present participle gurgling, simple past and past participle gurgled)
- To flow with a bubbling sound.
- The bath water gurgled down the drain.
- 1727, [Edward Young], “Satire V. On Women.”, in Love of Fame, the Universal Passion. In Seven Characteristical Satires, 4th edition, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson […], published 1741, →OCLC, page 97:
- Pure gurgling rills the lonely deſart trace, / And vvaſte their muſick on the ſavage race.
- To make such a sound.
- Synonym: (Northern England) guttle
- The baby gurgled with delight.
Translations
to flow with a bubbling sound
|
to make such a sound
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Noun
gurgle (plural gurgles)
- A gurgling sound.
- 1898, J. Meade Falkner, chapter 4, in Moonfleet, London, Toronto, Ont.: Jonathan Cape, published 1934:
- Then the conversation broke off, and there was little more talking, only a noise of men going backwards and forwards, and of putting down of kegs and the hollow gurgle of good liquor being poured from breakers into the casks.
Translations
gurgling sound
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German
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Verb
gurgle
- inflection of gurgeln:
- first-person singular present
- singular imperative
- first/third-person singular subjunctive I
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