Definition

1. Noun:

   • A young offspring of a canine animal, especially a dog or wolf: "whelp" primarily refers to a puppy or a young wolf cub.
   • (Archaic or figurative) A youth, especially one perceived as ill-mannered or contemptible: Historically, "whelp" could be used as a derogatory term for a young person.

2. Verb:

   • To give birth to (said of canines): "whelp" means for a female dog, wolf, or similar animal to bear young.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The wolf returned to the den to feed her whelps.
  • The dog's new litter consisted of six healthy whelps.
  • (Archaic) "That impudent whelp!" the old man muttered.

• Verb:

  • Our retriever is expected to whelp next week.
  • The vixen whelped in a hollow under the roots of an old tree.

Advanced Usage

• "to whelp a plan/litter": This construction uses the verb figuratively to mean to produce or give birth to an idea or a group of things.
  • The conspirators whelped their treacherous plan in secret.
• The verb is almost exclusively used for animals in the canine family (dogs, wolves, foxes). Using it for other animals or humans is archaic or humorous.

Variants and Related Words

• Whelping (n): The act or process of giving birth in canines.
  • The whelping went smoothly, and all the puppies are healthy.
• Whelping box (n): A special enclosure where a dog gives birth and cares for her newborn puppies.

Synonyms

• Noun: puppy, cub, pup, youngling (archaic).
• Verb: pup, give birth (to), bear young, litter (when referring to the act of birthing a group).

Related Phrases

• (No common phrasal verbs exist specifically for "whelp")

Related Idioms

• (No common idioms directly feature the word "whelp")

Noun

1. young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf

Verb

1. birth
   • the dog whelped