Definition

1. Noun:

   • The characteristic cry of a sheep or goat: A short, wavering vocal sound made by these animals.
   • Any similar weak, plaintive sound: A sound resembling the cry of a sheep or goat, often used to describe a feeble or complaining human voice.

2. Verb:

   • To make the characteristic cry of a sheep or goat: To utter the sound "baa."
   • To speak or complain in a weak, whining, or foolish manner: To talk with a feeble, nasal, or irritating quality.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The only sound in the field was the occasional bleat of a lamb.
  • He answered with a pathetic bleat of protest.

• Verb:

  • The lost kid goat began to bleat for its mother.
  • Don't just bleat about the problem; suggest a solution.

Advanced Usage

• "to bleat on (about something)": To complain or talk about something in a persistent, whining, or tedious way.
  • He's always bleating on about how unfair the system is.

Variants and Related Words

• Bleater (noun, informal): A person who complains in a weak or whining manner.
• Bleating (noun/adjective): The act or sound of bleating. Can describe a weak, complaining voice.
  • We could hear the constant bleating of the flock.
  • He ignored their bleating objections.

Synonyms

• Noun: Baa, cry (of a sheep/goat).
• Verb: Baa, cry (for animals); whine, complain, moan, whimper (for people, with nuanced differences in tone and persistence).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Bleat out: To say something in a weak, crying, or complaining voice.
  • The frightened child bleated out an apology.

Related Idioms

• While there are no major idioms with "bleat" as the core word, the verb is often used metaphorically to criticize ineffective complaining.
  • Politicians who bleat about deficits but never vote for cuts.

Noun

1. the sound of sheep or goats (or any sound resembling this)

Verb

1. cry plaintively
   • The lambs were bleating
2. talk whiningly