whelp
[hwelp, welp]
noun
the young of the dog, or of the wolf, bear, lion, tiger, seal, etc.
a youth, especially an impudent or despised one.
Machinery.
- any of a series of longitudinal projections or ridges on the barrel of a capstan, windlass, etc.
- 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).
Origin of whelp
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English hwelp (cognate with German Welf); (v.) Middle English whelpen, derivative of the noun
Synonyms for whelp
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for whelp
Historical Examples of whelp
Stop that barkin', now, you whelp, Or I'll kick you till you yelp!
Farm BalladsWill Carleton
For as the lion's whelp may be called a lion, or the horse's foal a foal, so the son of a king may be called a king.
CratylusPlato
"It seems you love that—whelp, that thing that was my brother," he said, sneering.
The Sea-HawkRaphael Sabatini
Give the whelp a couple of half-crowns, Halkett, and send him adrift.
Confessions Of Con CreganCharles James Lever
How came you here, you vagabond Irish whelp, in this company?
Sir LudarTalbot Baines Reed
whelp
noun
verb
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
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