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Bleat

//ˈbliːt// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.
2
the sound of sheep or goats (or any sound resembling this) wordnet

Verb

1
Of a sheep or goat, to make its characteristic cry of baas; of a human, to mimic this sound.
"In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously."
2
cry plaintively wordnet
3
Of a person, to complain. derogatory, informal
"The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems."
4
talk whiningly wordnet
5
Of a person, to say things of little importance to the listener. derogatory, informal
"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."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

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