I. ˈhw]elp, ]eu̇p also ˈw]\ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hwelp; akin to Old Saxon hwelp whelp, Old High German hwelf, welf, Old Norse hvelpr whelp, and perhaps to Old English hwelan to war, rage, hlōwan to low — more at low
1.
a. : one of the young of various carnivorous mammals (as the wolf, otter, or fox)
the tracks of the mother wolverine and three full-size whelps — Fur-Fish-Game
specifically : one of the young of a dog
b. : a young boy or girl
the older folk would be huddled together … praying for their wayward whelps — L.C.Douglas
2.
a. : an ill-considered or despised person
that awkward whelp with his money bags — Joseph Addison
b. obsolete : the offspring of such a person or being
the devil's whelps
c. : pup 2
the young whelp had learned his lesson — Edna Ferber
3.
a. : any of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the barrel of a capstan or windlass — usually used in plural
the whelps of a windlass
b. : sprocket 2a
4. Britain : a medium-sized auxiliary warship first constructed in the early 17th century
5. usually capitalized : tennessean — used as a nickname
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English whelpen, from whelp, n.
transitive verb
1. : to bring forth : give birth to — used especially of the female dog
the bitch whelps her young
2. archaic : to bring forth as if by giving birth
whelps a pack of lies
intransitive verb
: to bring forth young
where they crawl out on the ice to whelp — O.F.Backer
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration of welt
dialect : welt , wale
rubbed the mare and showed me a whelp on her left flank — T.H.Phillips