noun
whelp
wehlp
noun
1
A young dog, wolf, or similar animal; a pup or cub.
"The mother wolf guarded her whelps closely."
2
An insolent or disrespectful young person (dated or humorous use).
"How dare you speak to me like that, you young whelp!"
verb
1
To give birth, said of an animal such as a dog.
"The stray whelped four puppies under the porch."
How to Use Whelp
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA young animal, especially a puppy or wolf cub — or, old-fashioned, a rude young person.
When to use it
The "insolent youth" sense is dated and mostly seen in older literature.
Word Forms
whelped past tense, whelps plural, whelps singular
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Etymology
From Old English hwelp, a Germanic word for the young of an animal, related to Dutch welp and German Welpe.