To make a loud, harsh, wailing sound like fighting cats; to cry out in a shrill or unpleasant way.
From Middle Dutch or Low German origins, possibly combining 'kater' (tomcat) with 'waul' (to cry). First used in English in the 15th century to describe the yowling of cats.
Medieval English speakers were so annoyed by the noise fighting cats made that they invented an onomatopoeia word for it—and we still use 'caterwaul' today for any horrible caterwauling sound.
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