howl
n. countablen. a long, loud, crying sound made by an animal like a wolf or a dog. People can also make this sound when they are in a lot of pain or find something very funny.
n. a prolonged, loud, and mournful cry characteristic of wolves or dogs; by extension, a similar vocalisation from a human expressing intense emotion.
We heard the distant howl of a wolf in the woods.
The comedian's opening joke was met with a howl of laughter from the back of the room.
The wind rose to a mournful howl as it whipped through the narrow mountain pass, drowning out the voices of the hikers.
From Middle English howlen, houlen, from Old English hūlian, from Proto-West Germanic hūilōn, from Proto-Germanic hūwilōną, hiuwilōną (“to howl”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European kū-, kew- (“to howl, scream”). Likely of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian huulje (“to howl”), Dutch huilen (“to cry”), Romanian a hăuli (“to howl”), Old French ouler, German Low German hulen (“to howl”), German heulen (“to howl”), Danish hyle (“to howl”), Swedish yla (“to scream, yell”), Northern Luri آلٛیر (āłir, “howl”).
Often followed by the preposition 'of' to describe the source or emotion, such as a 'howl of pain' or 'howl of the wind'.