bleat
noun
- shout of a sheep
verb
- to cry as sheep, goat, or calf
- whine
- move while making a bleating sound
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbliːt/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English bleten, from Old English blǣtan (“to bleat”), from Proto-West Germanic *blātijan, from Proto-Germanic *blētijaną (“to bleat”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to howl, cry, bleat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to make a loud noise”). Cognate with Scots blete, bleit, West Frisian bâlte, blaaien, blêtsje (“to bleat”), Dutch blaten (“to bleat”), Low German bleten (“to bleat”), German blaßen, blässen (“to bleat”).
- The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English bleten, from Old English blǣtan (“to bleat”), from Proto-West Germanic *blātijan, from Proto-Germanic *blētijaną (“to bleat”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to howl, cry, bleat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to make a loud noise”). Cognate with Scots blete, bleit, West Frisian bâlte, blaaien, blêtsje (“to bleat”), Dutch blaten (“to bleat”), Low German bleten (“to bleat”), German blaßen, blässen (“to bleat”).
- Of a sheep, goat, or calf: to make its characteristic cry; of a human, to mimic this sound.
“Near-synonym: baa (sheep and goat)”
“In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously.”
- Of a person, to complain.
“Near-synonyms: kvetch, moan, whinge, whine, holler”
“The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.”
- Of a person, to say things of little importance to the listener.
“Near-synonyms: drone on, go on”
“She came skipping to me just now, clapping her little hands and bleating about how very, very happy she was, dear Mrs Travers. The silly young geezer. I nearly conked her one with my trowel.”