Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

gowl

intransitive verb
\ ˈgau̇(ə)l, ˈgül\
-ed/-ing/-s

Definition of gowl

 (Entry 1 of 2)

dialectal, British
: howl, yell the hound dog gowled wind gowls in the chimney— R. L. Stevenson

gowl

noun
\ "\
plural -s

Definition of gowl (Entry 2 of 2)

dialectal, British
: a loud cry : howl, yell burst out in kind o' gowl o' anger— S. R. Crockett

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for gowl

Intransitive verb

Middle English goulen, gowlen, from Old Norse gaula; akin to Old Norse geyja to bark and perhaps to Greek chaos abyss

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about gowl

Dictionary Entries near gowl

gowk

gowked

gowk storm

gowl

gown

gown boy

gownd

Statistics for gowl

Look-up Popularity

Comments on gowl

What made you want to look up gowl? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

resurrection

Listen to the pronounciation of resurrection

an act or instance of returning to life

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Latin Quiz

  • roman forum
  • Which of the following months comes from a Latin word for “ten”?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
TRENDING NOW

  1. surveillance Comey comments on Barr's use of 'spy'

  2. cavalier Virginia wins men's championship

  3. redact, redacted Barr discusses release of report

SEE ALL
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games