WHELPING

Verb

whelping

present participle of whelp

Source: Wiktionary

WHELP

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