Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A harsh or shrill call or whistle expressing derision or disapproval.
- intransitive verb To express derision or disapproval of with catcalls.
- intransitive verb To make catcalls.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A squeaking instrument used in playhouses to express disapprobation or weariness of the performance, or a sound made in imitation of the tone of this instrument.
- To express disapprobation of by sounds produced by or like those of the catcall.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A sound like the cry of a cat, such as is made in playhouses to express dissatisfaction with a play; also, a small shrill instrument for making such a noise.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
shout orwhistle expressingdislike , especially from acrowd oraudience ; ajeer , aboo . - verb To make such an exclamation.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a cry expressing disapproval
- verb utter catcalls at
Etymologies
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Examples
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We heard a noise, a catcall from the top of the hill.
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Wilson, 62, shot from congressional obscurity to national notoriety with his two-word catcall while Obama spoke to lawmakers about his plans to overall the U.S. health care system.
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And the worry must be that the members of the Youth Parliament will whisper, giggle, catcall, pass notes to one another, shout across the chamber, play to the camera, stand up and bellow ...
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In the hours after Wilson's catcall, $200,000 in campaign contributions poured in for Rob Miller, his Democratic opponent in the last and next election, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Heckler Wilson 'a decent guy' with lock on district, observers say 2009
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And those who weren't unihibited enough to whistle or catcall (we are so sophisticated, aren't we?) were doing it mentally!
‘Eclipse’ Movie Poster Pops Up On ‘Twilight’ Tracker App » MTV Movies Blog 2009
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The show stopped five times, mostly to fix technical problems, and Act I ended prematurely, with Spider-Man stuck dangling 10 feet above audience members, while Act II was marred by a nasty catcall during one of the midperformance pauses.
'Spider-Man' Musical's Inaugural Flight Is a Little Rocky The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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Ask yourself: why do men typically leer and catcall in packs?
Why, if you think harassment is flattering, you are stupid | The Hathor Legacy 2008
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A wave of acknowledgment rippled through the room, punctuated by a catcall or two.
Sparks Laura Bickle 2010
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After months of delays and headlines, the three-hour "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" on Sunday had its first preview, which reportedly included at least five tech glitches -- including one that left the webslinging star Reeve Carney suspended aloft over the audience for several minutes -- and prompted the catcall heard 'round the Web, as it were.
SPIDER-MAN ON BROADWAY: The Web's sense is tingling over mega-show's hamstrung preview Michael Cavna 2010
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The show stopped five times, mostly to fix technical problems, and Act I ended prematurely, with Spider-Man stuck dangling 10 feet above audience members, while Act II was marred by a nasty catcall during one of the midperformance pauses.
'Spider-Man' Musical's Inaugural Flight Is a Little Rocky The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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