warbling

Verb

warble (third-person singular simple present warbles, present participle warbling, simple past and past participle warbled)

1. (transitive) To modulate a tone's frequency.

   Synonyms:

   trill

2. (transitive) To sing like a bird, especially with trills.
   • Her voice more sweet than warbling sound,
     Tho’ sung by nightingale or lark,
     Her eyes such lustre dart around,
     Compar’d to them the sun is dark.a. 1722, Matthew Prior, “Non Pareil”, in H. Bunker Wright, Monroe K. Spears, editors, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, Second edition, volume I, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1971, page 683
3. (transitive) To cause to quaver or vibrate.
   • touch the warbled string1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC
4. (intransitive) To be quavered or modulated; to be uttered melodiously.
   • The wailings of a maiden I recite, / A maiden fair, that Sparabella hight. / Such ſtrains ne'er warble in the linnet's throat, / Nor the gay goldfinch chaunts ſo ſweet a note, [...]1714, J[ohn] Gay, “Wednesday; or, The Dumps”, in The Shepherd’s Week. In Six Pastorals, London: […] R. Burleigh […], →OCLC, page 21

See all 8 meanings of warble