WHELP

pup, whelp

(noun) young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf

whelp, pup

(verb) give birth to (a puppy); “the dog whelped”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

whelp (plural whelps)

A young offspring of a canid (ursid, felid, pinniped), especially of a dog or a wolf, the young of a bear or similar mammal (lion, tiger, seal); a pup, wolf cub.

(derogatory) An insolent youth; a mere child.

(obsolete) A kind of ship.

One of several wooden strips to prevent wear on a windlass on a clipper-era ship.

A tooth on a sprocket wheel (compare sprocket and cog).

Etymology 2

Verb

whelp (third-person singular simple present whelps, present participle whelping, simple past and past participle whelped)

(ambitransitive, of she-dog, she-wolf, vixen, etc.) To give birth.

Etymology 3

Interjection

whelp

Alternative form of welp (“well”)

Source: Wiktionary


Whelp, n. Etym: [AS. hwelp; akin to D. welp, G. & OHG. welf, Icel. hvelpr, Dan. hvalp, Sw. valp.]

1. One of the young of a dog or a beast of prey; a puppy; a cub; as, a lion's whelps. "A bear robbed of her whelps." 2 Sam. xvii. 8.

2. A child; a youth; -- jocosely or in contempt. That awkward whelp with his money bags would have made his entrance. Addison.

3. (Naut.)

Definition: One of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the barrel of a capstan or a windless; -- usually in the plural; as, the whelps of a windlass.

4. One of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.

Whelp, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whelped; p. pr. & vb. n. Whelping.]

Definition: To bring forth young; -- said of the female of the dog and some beasts of prey.

Whelp, v. t.

Definition: To bring forth, as cubs or young; to give birth to. Unless she had whelped it herself, she could not have loved a thing better. B. Jonson. Did thy foul fancy whelp so black a scheme Young.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. When coffee berries turn from green to bright red – indicating ripeness – they are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee seeds are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor.

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