First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1whelp
noun \ˈhwelp, ˈwelp\
: a young animal; especially : a young dog
Full Definition of WHELP
1
: any of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog
2
: a young boy or girl
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Origin of WHELP
Middle English, from Old English hwelp; akin to Old High German hwelf whelp
Related to WHELP
2whelp
verb
of a female animal : to give birth
Full Definition of WHELP
transitive verb
: to give birth to —used of various carnivores and especially the dog
intransitive verb
: to bring forth young
See whelp defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WHELP
13th century
WHELP Defined for Kids
whelp
noun \ˈhwelp, ˈwelp\
Definition of WHELP for Kids
: one of the young of an animal (as a dog) that eats flesh
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