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whelp

 - 5 dictionary results

whelp

  [hwelp, welp]
Use whelp in a Sentence
–noun
1. the young of the dog, or of the wolf, bear, lion, tiger, seal, etc.
2. a youth, esp. an impudent or despised one.
3. Machinery.
a. any of a series of longitudinal projections or ridges on the barrel of a capstan, windlass, etc.
b. any of the teeth of a sprocket wheel.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
4. (of a female dog, lion, etc.) to give birth to (young).
Origin:
bef. 900; (n.) ME; OE hwelp (c. G Welf); (v.) ME whelpen, deriv. of the n.

Related forms:
whelpless, adjective

Synonyms:
2. brat, urchin, whippersnapper.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To whelp
whelp   (hwělp, wělp)   
n.  

  1. A young offspring of a mammal, such as a dog or wolf.

    1. A child; a youth.

    2. An impudent young fellow.

    3. A tooth of a sprocket wheel.

    4. Nautical Any of the ridges on the barrel of a windlass or capstan.

    1. A tooth of a sprocket wheel.

    2. Nautical Any of the ridges on the barrel of a windlass or capstan.

v.   whelped, whelp·ing, whelps

v.   intr.
To give birth to whelps or a whelp.
v.   tr.
To give birth to (whelps or a whelp).

[Middle English, from Old English hwelp.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

whelp  (n.)
O.E. hwelp "whelp, young of the dog," from a Gmc. root related to O.S. hwelp, O.N. hvelpr, Du. welp, Ger. hwelf; of unknown origin. Now largely displaced by puppy. Also applied to wild animals. Sense of "scamp" first recorded c.1330.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1whelp
Pronunciation: 'hwelp, 'welp
Function: noun
: one of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog

Main Entry: 2whelp
Function: transitive verb
: to give birth to —used of various carnivores and especially the dog whelp intransitivesenses
: to bring forth young
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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