beep

1 of 2

verb

ˈbēp 

beeped; beeping; beeps

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sound

beep a horn

2

: to send a message to (someone) with a beeper

Dr. Khoury was beeped to perform an emergency operation at American University Hospital.

—Scot Macleod

intransitive verb

1

: to sound a horn

2

: to make a beep

beep

2 of 2

noun

: a short usually high-pitched sound (as from a horn or an electronic device) that serves as a signal or warning

Examples of beep in a Sentence

Verb

Why did you beep your horn at her?

She beeped at me first.

Something is beeping in the kitchen.

I could hear a beeping noise.

Noun

the beep of a car horn

Please leave a message after the beep.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But suddenly his metal detector began beeping – and soon, Mangeac was looking at a hoard of 1,469 Roman coins. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025

Another slight minus is that this machine doesn’t beep or do anything other than shut off the Seal light when it’s done. —Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appétit, 27 Jan. 2025

Noun

The glassy downtown loft, with sweeping Hudson River views and a persistent mystery beep, feels all wrong from day one. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 14 May 2025

In both audible and silent mode, my watch and phone immediately vibrated, with the phone continuing to make audible beeps until the alarm was disabled. —ArsTechnica, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

from beep-beep, imitative of the sound of a horn, or verbal derivative of beep entry 2

Noun

earlier beep-beep, imitative of the sound of a horn

First Known Use

Verb

1933, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beep

• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap
• seep
• sheep
• sleep

Kids Definition

beep

noun

ˈbēp

: a sound that signals or warns

beep verb