Word
yelp
US/ˈjɛɫp/
UK/jˈɛlp/
Definition
n. a short, sharp cry of pain or excitement. You often hear this sound from a dog when it is surprised or hurt.
n. a brief, high-pitched cry or bark, typically expressing sudden pain, alarm, or excitement.
Examples
“The puppy gave a little yelp when I stepped on its paw.”
“A sudden yelp from the backyard alerted the owners that their dog had encountered a stray cat.”
“The silence of the forest was punctured by the sharp yelp of a fox, a sound that echoed briefly before the stillness returned.”
Examples
simple
“The puppy gave a little yelp when I stepped on its paw.”
contextual
“A sudden yelp from the backyard alerted the owners that their dog had encountered a stray cat.”
complex
“The silence of the forest was punctured by the sharp yelp of a fox, a sound that echoed briefly before the stillness returned.”
Usage
Often used with the verbs 'give', 'let out', or 'emit'.
Etymology
From Middle English ȝelp, yelp, from Old English ġielp (“boasting, arrogance, pride”), from Proto-West Germanic gelp, from Proto-Germanic gelpą (“boasting”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel- (“to shout”).
From Middle English ȝelpen, yelpen, from Old English ġielpan (“to boast”), from Proto-West Germanic gelpan, from Proto-Germanic gelpaną (“to sound off, boast”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰel‑ (“to call, shout, scream”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian jalpe, galpe (“to bleep; cheep”), German Low German galpen (“to scream, shriek, howl”), Middle High German gelpfen, gelpfen (“to roar, howl, bark, boast, sing loudly”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/yelp