whelp

/wɛlp/
verb
  1. To give birth to a young dog or other animal.
    • The wolf whelped in the safety of the cave.
    • The Labrador retriever whelped a litter of six puppies.
    • Our dog is expected to whelp next week.
noun
  1. A young dog, especially a puppy.
    • The mother dog carefully carried her whelp to a warm spot.
    • We adopted a playful whelp from the animal shelter.
    • The whelp was only three weeks old when it opened its eyes.
  2. The young of certain other animals, such as wolves, bears, or seals.
    • A polar bear whelp was born at the zoo last winter.
    • The wolf whelp stayed close to its mother in the den.
    • The seal whelp rested on the ice beside its parent.
  3. A rude or impudent young person (often used playfully or disapprovingly).
    • She called the mischievous boy a whelp and sent him to his room.
    • The young whelp talked back to his teacher.
    • That whelp needs to learn some manners.
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