whelp

1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)welp 

1

: any of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog

2

: a young boy or girl

whelp

2 of 2

verb

whelped; whelping; whelps

transitive verb

: to give birth to

—used of various carnivores and especially the dog

intransitive verb

: to bring forth young

Synonyms

Noun

• bairn [chiefly Scottish]
• bambino
• bud
• chap [Southern & Midland]
• chick
• child
• cub
• juvenile
• kid
• kiddie
• kiddy
• kiddo
• moppet
• sprat
• sprout
• squirt
• youngling
• youngster
• youth

Examples of whelp in a Sentence

Noun

playtime's over, it's time to gather up the whelps and head home

Verb

The dog whelped in March.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Given its importance as one of two Northwest Atlantic harp seal whelping grounds, the area is one of Nat Geo’s Best Trips for 2020. —Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic, 19 Dec. 2019

And from Susan’s line, the queen’s breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor whelped hundreds of corgi puppies. —William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2018

From the queen's breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor, hundreds of royal corgis have been whelped. —William Booth, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hwelp; akin to Old High German hwelf whelp

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

whelp

1 of 2 noun

ˈhwelp 

ˈwelp

1

: one of the young of a flesh-eating animal and especially a dog

2

: a young person

whelp

2 of 2 verb

: to give birth to whelps

Medical Definition

whelp

1 of 2 noun

ˈhwelp  ˈwelp 

: one of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog

whelp

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to give birth to

—used of various carnivores and especially the dog

intransitive verb

: to bring forth young