gurgle

verb gur·gle \ ˈgər-gəl \

Definition of gurgle

gurgled; gurgling play \ˈgər-g(ə-)liŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to flow in a broken irregular current

the brook gurgling over the rocks

2 : to make a sound like that of a gurgling liquid

the baby gurgling in his crib

—

gurgle

noun

See gurgle defined for English-language learners

See gurgle defined for kids

Examples of gurgle in a Sentence

The water gurgled through the pipes.
I was so hungry that you could hear my stomach gurgling.

Recent Examples of gurgle from the Web

Sewage gurgled up through the pipes of their bathroom sinks, shower and bath tub, the suit says.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Smelly rental home thwarts plan to stay in elite Riverdale School District, suit says," 30 Jan. 2018
The engine gurgles happily in Normal mode, and really clears its throat in Sport and Sport Plus.

— charles fleming, latimes.com, "Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and Range Rover Velar: A tale of two rad road trips," 26 Jan. 2018
Sewage flooded parking lots, seeped into car floors, and gurgled up into showers.

— brittany wallman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Lauderdale approves $200 million to help stop sewage spilling into streets," 23 Jan. 2018
By knocking off the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers tossed gurgling L.A. a life line — or, more accurately, what could be a life line if the Titans don’t regroup — in the wild-card race.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers* get big assist from former Spanos critic, now need help from 'Fight for L.A.' rival Rams," 18 Dec. 2017
Screens to the side of the stage displayed unexceptional images of nature — trembling leaves, gurgling water, a mosquito feasting on skin — that paled next to the richness with which Janacek renders those images in music.

— corinna da fonseca-wollheim, New York Times, "Review: The Berlin Philharmonic Stages a Musically Glorious ‘Vixen’," 17 Oct. 2017
Behind their silence in the face of Catalonia’s independence drive lies a patchwork of separatist and nationalist movements gurgling elsewhere around the continent.

— sara miller llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Catalans find European status quo means 'States Rule'," 2 Nov. 2017
At the Perovski Estate Winery, for example, four, large shiny new Bulgarian fermentation vats gurgle away behind a chicken wire fence.

— neil macfarquhar, New York Times, "Crimean Winemakers Look to Shed the Rot Gut Label," 19 Oct. 2017
The Krýsuvík geothermal area -- This stunning region features gurgling mud pools amid the yellow, red and orange clay-like earth.

— kate springer, CNN, "Turf homes: Inside the grass-topped farmhouses that defined Iceland," 8 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gurgle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gurgle

probably imitative

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1596

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

gurgle Synonyms

GURGLE Defined for English Language Learners

gurgle

verb

Definition of gurgle for English Language Learners

: to make the quiet sound of water moving over rocks, through a pipe, etc.
: to make a sound like a liquid boiling or bubbling
of a baby : to make happy and quiet sounds

GURGLE Defined for Kids

gurgle

verb gur·gle \ ˈgər-gəl \

Definition of gurgle for Students

gurgled; gurgling

1 : to flow in a bubbling current

a gurgling stream

2 : to sound like a liquid flowing with a bubbling current

gurgle

noun

Definition of gurgle for Students

: a sound of or like liquid flowing with a bubbling current

Learn More about gurgle

See words that rhyme with gurgle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gurgle Spanish Central: Translation of gurgle Nglish: Translation of gurgle for Spanish speakers

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gurgle

Definition of gurgle

gurgle

Examples of gurgle in a Sentence

Recent Examples of gurgle from the Web

Origin and Etymology of gurgle

gurgle Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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GURGLE Defined for English Language Learners

gurgle

Definition of gurgle for English Language Learners

GURGLE Defined for Kids

gurgle

Definition of gurgle for Students

gurgle

Definition of gurgle for Students

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