whelp
whelp definition
whelp (hwelp, welp)
noun
- a young dog; puppy
- a young lion, tiger, leopard, bear, wolf, etc.; cub
- a youth or child: a term showing contempt
- any of the teeth on a sprocket wheel
- Naut. any of the ribs or ridges along the barrel of a capstan or the drum of a windlass: usually used in pl.
Etymology: ME < OE hwelp, akin to Ger welf, ON hvelpr, puppy, prob. < IE *kwel-, var. of base *kel-, to cry out, call > low, Welsh colwyn, puppy
transitive verb, intransitive verb
to give birth to (young): said of some animals
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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