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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.
- 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).
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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, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH whelp
whelp, welpWords 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. 2022
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
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