GROWLING

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does growling mean? 

• GROWLING (noun)
  The noun GROWLING has 2 senses:

1. a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)

2. the sound of growling (as made by animals)

  Familiarity information: GROWLING used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GROWLING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("growling" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Derivation:

growl (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The sound of growling (as made by animals)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

growl; growling

Hypernyms ("growling" is a kind of...):

cry (the characteristic utterance of an animal)

Derivation:

growl (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

 Context examples 

He had ceased from his growling and stood, head up, looking into their faces.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Both gangs surged forward, growling and snarling.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Before they had gone far they heard a low rumble, as of the growling of many wild animals.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

They lay about the deck growling together in talk.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“It is a shame,” I heard Johnson growling in painfully slow and correct English.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The bear edged away to one side, growling menacingly, himself appalled by this mysterious creature that appeared upright and unafraid.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“What is the meaning of this?” cried the other “Why are you pelting me?” “I am not pelting you,” answered the first, growling.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

What ship comes sailing home from India, and what English lady is this, married to a growling old Scotch Croesus with great flaps of ears?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Wherever the hatchet fell on the outside, he was there on the inside, snarling and growling, as furiously anxious to get out as the man in the red sweater was calmly intent on getting him out.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

And then, under this high-pitched, ringing sound there was another, more intermittent, a low, deep-chested laugh, a growling, throaty gurgle of merriment which formed a grotesque accompaniment to the shriek with which it was blended.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)