- Today's Word
Burble
BUR-buhl
Definition
- (verb) To make a continuous murmuring or bubbling sound; to speak in an excited or incoherent way.
Example
The brook burbled softly as it wound through the forest, adding a serene melody to the quiet landscape.
Fun Fact
“Burble” is a playful onomatopoeic word that imitates the sound of bubbling water or soft chatter. Popularized in literature by Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky (1871), where it described the sound of a creature in motion, it has since become a whimsical way to describe gentle, flowing sounds or overly enthusiastic speech.
(verb) To obtain something by persuasion, scheming, or clever manipulation.
He managed to wangle an invitation to the exclusive event through a friend of a friend.
Late 19th century: originally printers’ slang, possibly an alteration of “waggle” meaning “to move unsteadily,” suggesting indirect or roundabout methods.