to skirl
1
9.9
- verb
- /skɜrl/
- The musician began to skirl on his bagpipe, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Examples
-
As the parade passed, the bagpipes skirled loudly, filling the air with an eerie melody.
-
Sitars and vinas were plucked, bansris and shahnais skirled, while mridangams and tabla were battered to a rhythm I could not quite catch.
Fiction book (1999) -
(In the upper register, it skirled.)
Fiction book (1999) -
Barb skirled.
Fiction book (1994) -
He was still reasonably warm in the shelter of the rocks, while the sleet skirled around the mountainside; and Zadny, the rascal, came almost but not quite within reach, seeking that warmth.
Fiction book (1992) -
It was a chilly night when the distant sound of bagpipes began to skirl across the valley.
Synonyms
70
4.0
To make a loud, high, sharp sound that startles people
69
2.9
To make a loud high sound often because of fear, pain or excitement
61
1.4
To make a short high sound when things move or rub together
59
3.0
To make a long, high sound like a pig or excited child
39
7.0
To make a high thin sound like a small bird or child
26
7.8
To make a high thin sound like a whistle
16
3.3
To move quickly while making a high whistling sound
2
4.8
To make a very high, sharp sound often as a cry
2
4.8
Wind or animals make a long loud crying sound as they move through a place
1
9.9
To make a short, high, harsh sound like an owl or old gate
1
9.9
To make a loud, high, harsh sound like a scream
How Shrill
Surface Forms
Etymology
Skirl as a verb also comes from Scots and copies a 'high, wailing noise' — similar to shrill — so to skirl is to make that sharp, crying sound, whether from pipes or from birds.