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whelp

Syllabification: (whelp)
Pronunciation: /(h)welp/
Definition of whelp

noun

  • a puppy.
  • a cub.
  • a boy or young man (often as a disparaging form of address).
  • (whelps) a set of projections on the barrel of a capstan or windlass, designed to reduce the slippage of a rope.

verb

[with object]
  • (of a female dog) give birth to (a puppy):Copper whelped seven puppies [no object]:a bitch due to whelp

Phrases

in whelp

(of a female dog) pregnant.

Origin:

Old English hwelp (noun), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch welp and German Welf

whelp in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of whelp in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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