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moan

   Also found in: Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia 0.04 sec.
moan  (mn)
n.
1.
a. A low, sustained, mournful cry, usually indicative of sorrow or pain.
b. A similar sound: the eerie moan of the night wind.
2. Lamentation.
v. moaned, moan·ing, moans
v.intr.
1.
a. To utter a moan or moans.
b. To make a sound resembling a moan: A saxophone moaned in the background.
2. To complain, lament, or grieve: an old man who still moans about his misspent youth.
v.tr.
1. To bewail or bemoan: She moaned her misfortunes to anyone who would listen.
2. To utter with moans or a moan.

[Middle English mone, from Old English *mn; see mei-no- in Indo-European roots.]

moan
Noun
1. a low prolonged cry of pain or suffering
2. any similar sound, esp. that made by the wind
3. Informal a grumble or complaint
Verb
1. to make a low cry of, or talk in a way suggesting, pain or suffering: he moaned in pain
2. to make a sound like a moan: the wind moaned through the trees
3. Informal to grumble or complain [Old English mǣnan to grieve over]
moaner n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.moanmoan - an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
utterance, vocalization - the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Verb1.moan - indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure; "The students groaned when the professor got out the exam booklets"; "The ancient door soughed when opened"
let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand"

moan
verb 2. (Informal) grumble, complain, groan, whine, beef (slang) carp, bitch (slang) grouse, gripe (informal) whinge (informal) bleat, moan and groan, grouch (informal)
noun 4. (Informal) complaint, protest, grumble, beef (slang) bitch (slang) whine, grouse, gripe (informal) grouch (informal) kvetch U.S. (slang)
Translations
Spanish moan [məun] ngemido
vigemir;
(col) (= complain): to moan (about) → quejarse (de)

French moan [məun] ngémissement m
vigémir;
(inf) (= complain);
to moan (about) → se plaindre (de)

German moan [məun] nStöhnen nt
vistöhnen;
(inf) (complain);
to moan (about) → meckern (über +acc)

Italian moan [məun] ngemito
vigemere;
(col) (= complain): to moan (about) → lamentarsi (di)

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From then until possibly midnight all was silence, the silence of the dead; then, suddenly, the awful moan of the morning broke upon my startled ears, and there came again from the black shadows the sound of a moving thing, and a faint rustling as of dead leaves.
A look in the eyes of a shipmate, a low murmur in the most sheltered spot where the watch on duty are huddled together, a meaning moan from one to the other with a glance at the windward sky, a sigh of weariness, a gesture of disgust passing into the keeping of the great wind, become part and parcel of the gale.
While I was thus looking and wondering, in a calm moment, when the ship was still, Israel Hands turned partly round and with a low moan writhed himself back to the position in which I had seen him first.
 
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