bleep
n. countablen. a short, high sound made by a machine. You often hear this sound when a microwave finishes or when a bad word is hidden on TV.
n. a short, high-pitched electronic sound, often used as a signal or to censor offensive language in a broadcast.
The microwave gave a loud bleep when the food was ready.
The television station had to insert a bleep over the guest's sudden angry outburst during the live interview.
In a medical setting, the constant bleep of the heart monitor provides a rhythmic reassurance of the patient's stability to the nursing staff on duty.
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used as a verb to describe the act of making the sound or censoring speech.
Last updated May 9, 2026