whelp

American  

[hwelp, welp] / ʰwɛlp, wɛlp /

noun

1. the young of a carnivore, as a dog, bear, lion, seal, etc.

2. a youth, especially an impudent or despised one.

   Synonyms:

   whippersnapper, urchin, brat

3. Machinery.

   1. any of a series of longitudinal projections or ridges on the barrel of a capstan, windlass, etc.

   2. any of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. (of a female dog, lion, etc.) to give birth to (young).

whelp British  

/ wɛlp /

noun

1. a young offspring of certain animals, esp of a wolf or dog

2. derogatory a young man or youth

3. humorous a young child

4. nautical any of the ridges, parallel to the axis, on the drum of a capstan to keep a rope, cable, or chain from slipping

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verb

1. (of an animal or, disparagingly, a woman) to give birth to (young)

Other Word Forms

• unwhelped
  adjective
• whelpless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of whelp

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun, from Old English hwelp (cognate with Old Norse hvelpr, Old Saxon hwelp, Old High German hwelf, welf, German Welf); verb derivative of the noun

Explanation

It doesn't sound as cute as "puppy," but whelp means the same thing: a baby dog or wolf. This can also be a verb, as in "The mama poodle whelped six whelps." To someone who studies animals, whelp is just the word for a newborn dog or for birthing. Besides applying to canines such as wolves and coyotes, whelp is sometimes used to describe a young person. This usually isn't a compliment. If an older person calls a young person a whelp or says, "I don't know what's wrong with you whelps these days!", you can be sure they're not impressed by youngsters.

Example Sentences

The national forest also was slightly modifying closure maps for the Greenwood fire, and the John Ek and Whelp fires.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 2, 2021

The Forest Service also reported no growth thanks to the rain on two other, smaller wildfires of concern, the John Ek and Whelp fires, which are inside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2021

Dear Readers: Whelp, we’ve probably known about it for a while, and we just don’t like to face it or talk about it: debt.

From Washington Post • Jul. 12, 2021

"He was adorable," says one of the dozens of young Australian girls Philip met when he was executive officer of the destroyer Whelp on duty in the South Pacific.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Whelp of an evil breed!" he thundered, shaking his gray head.

From Heritage of the Desert by Grey, Zane