bleat
to utter the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf or a sound resembling such a cry.
to give forth with or as if with a bleat: He bleated his objections in a helpless rage.
to babble; prate.
the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf.
any similar sound: the bleat of distant horns.
foolish, complaining talk; babble: I listened to their inane bleat all evening.
Origin of bleat
1Other words from bleat
- bleater, noun
- bleat·ing·ly, adverb
- outbleat, verb (used with object)
Words Nearby bleat
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bleat in a sentence
Lying on my back inside the narrow tube, I had swallowed my claustrophobia and let myself be enveloped in darkness and a cacophony of foghorn-like bleats.
The poor child didn't understand why Teacher Thomas should stare so at her, and she let out one long, unending bleat.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydLet blue flames rise from the living sulphur and the sheep bleat loud as she feels the touch of the smoking sulphur.
The Religion of Ancient Rome | Cyril BaileyAs one company passed, the measured bleat and squeal of the pipes faded and merged into a sound heralding the approach of another.
The Relief of Mafeking | Filson YoungIt was a half-bred Angora kid—the little animal whose bleat we had heard.
A Frontier Mystery | Bertram Mitford
A shrill bleat came to our ears—came from the bush on the further side of the hole to us, but still a little way beyond it.
A Frontier Mystery | Bertram Mitford
British Dictionary definitions for bleat
/ (bliːt) /
(intr) (of a sheep, goat, or calf) to utter its characteristic plaintive cry
(intr) to speak with any similar sound
to whine; whimper
the characteristic cry of sheep, goats, and young calves
any sound similar to this
a weak complaint or whine
Origin of bleat
1Derived forms of bleat
- bleater, noun
- bleating, noun, adjective
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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