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whelp

[ welp, hwelp ]
/ wɛlp, ʰwɛlp /
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noun
the young of a carnivore, as a dog, bear, lion, seal, etc.
a youth, especially an impudent or despised one.
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.
verb (used with or without object)
(of a female dog, lion, etc.) to give birth to (young).
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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

OTHER WORDS FROM whelp

whelp·less, adjectiveun·whelped, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH whelp

welp, whelp

Words nearby whelp

wheeze, wheezy, whelk, whelked, whelm, whelp, whelping ice, when, when all's said and done, whenas, whence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to whelp

cub, dog, pup, puppy

How to use whelp in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whelp

whelp
/ (wɛlp) /
noun
a young offspring of certain animals, esp of a wolf or dog
derogatory a young man or youth
jocular a young child
nautical any of the ridges, parallel to the axis, on the drum of a capstan to keep a rope, cable, or chain from slipping
verb
(of an animal or, disparagingly, a woman) to give birth to (young)

Word Origin for whelp

Old English hwelp (a); related to Old High German hwelf, Old Norse hvelpr, Danish hvalp
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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