whelp

/wɛlp/

/hwɛlp/

/wɛlp/

Other forms: whelps; whelped; whelping

It doesn't sound as cute as "puppy," but whelp means the same thing: a baby dog or wolf. This can also be a verb, as in "The mama poodle whelped six whelps."

To someone who studies animals, whelp is just the word for a newborn dog or for birthing. Besides applying to canines such as wolves and coyotes, whelp is sometimes used to describe a young person. This usually isn't a compliment. If an older person calls a young person a whelp or says, "I don't know what's wrong with you whelps these days!", you can be sure they're not impressed by youngsters.

Definitions of whelp

1. noun

   young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf
   synonyms: pup

   types:

   puppy

   a young dog

   type of:

   young mammal

   any immature mammal
2. verb

   birth
   “the dog whelped”

   synonyms: pup

   type of:

   bear, birth, deliver, give birth, have

   cause to be born