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whelp
[ welp, hwelp ]
noun
- the young of a carnivore, as a dog, bear, lion, seal, etc.
- a youth, especially an impudent or despised one.
Synonyms: whippersnapper, urchin, brat
- 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).
whelp
/ wɛlp /
noun
- a young offspring of certain animals, esp of a wolf or dog
- derogatory.a young man or youth
- humorous.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)
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Other Words From
- whelp·less adjective
- un·whelped adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of whelp1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of whelp1
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Example Sentences
This wretch, a shoemaker called Simon, asked his employers, "what was to be done with the young wolf-whelp; Was he to be slain?"
Brown Puppy and her whelp keep me company, and I look upon them as comrades in misfortune.
I had seen some whelp wolves that friends of ours (Harris and Leroy Lyman, who were noted hunters) had got.
Rome is strong, but Rome is far away, and that lion's whelp prowls only a few days journey from here.
Gradually, bit by bit, James Harthouse established a confidence with the whelp's sister from which her husband was excluded.
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