Word
chirp
US/ˈtʃɝp/
UK/tʃˈɜːp/
Definition
n. a short, high sound that a bird makes. It can also describe a quick, happy sound made by a person or a machine.
n. a short, high-pitched sound, typically associated with birds or small animals. In a figurative sense, it may refer to a brief, cheerful utterance or a high-pitched electronic signal.
Examples
“The birds began to chirp as the sun rose.”
“The forest was filled with the constant chirp of crickets long after the sun had set.”
“The morning air was broken only by the occasional chirp of a sparrow and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.”
Examples
simple
“The birds began to chirp as the sun rose.”
contextual
“The forest was filled with the constant chirp of crickets long after the sun had set.”
complex
“The morning air was broken only by the occasional chirp of a sparrow and the rustling of leaves in the breeze.”
Real-World Examples
“But over the past decade or so, it’s become clear that many turtles, too , make various clicks and chirps from within the egg.” “Animals begin to behave as they would at dusk: Crickets chirp and bees go back to their hives.” Etymology
From Middle English *chirpen (attested only in the derivative Middle English chirpinge, cyrpynge, chyrypynge (“chirping”). Compare Middle English chirken and chirmen. More at chirk, chirm. Compare also Middle English chirten (“to smack, chirrup”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/chirp