beep

1 of 2

verb

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
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US published 20 September 2024 At 3:30 pm on Tuesday, hundreds of pagers across Lebanon began beeping. Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 20 Sep. 2024 At one point during our off-the-record conversation, his pager beeped. Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2024
Noun
After a few beeps, both bears run away from the garage and Gold's home. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024 Text alerts, chimes, beeps, and flashing lights have become a mainstay of modern consumer vehicles. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beep 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beep.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of beep was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near beep

Cite this Entry

“Beep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beep. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

beep

noun
ˈbēp
: a sound that signals or warns
beep verb

More from Merriam-Webster on beep

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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