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whaup. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
whaup, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
whaup in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
whaup you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Noun
whaup (plural whaups)
- (Scotland) The curlew, Numenius arquata.
1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:It looks eerie at bright midday, when the sun is shining and whaups are crying among the seaweeds; but think what it was on that awesome night, with the Powers of Darkness brooding over it like a cloud!
2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 368:A whaup flapped up with its liquid, rising cry and he found himself wheeling round in in a dizziness of blue as he tried to follow its flight.
Usage notes
- Sometimes great whaup is used for the curlew, as opposed to little whaup for the whimbrel.
Scots
Etymology
From Old English hwilpe, or perhaps a variant *hwalp(e). Cognate with West Frisian wylp, Low German Welp, Dutch wulp.
Pronunciation
Noun
whaup (plural whaups)
- curlew