bleat

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English[edit]

This entry needs a sound clip exemplifying the definition.

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈbliːt/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -iːt

Noun[edit]

bleat (plural bleats)

  1. The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

bleat (third-person singular simple present bleats, present participle bleating, simple past and past participle bleated)

  1. Of a sheep or goat, to make its characteristic cry; of a human, to mimic this sound.
    • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 99:
      In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously.
  2. (informal, derogatory) Of a person, to complain.
    The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.

Synonyms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Old English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Proto-West Germanic *blaut, from Proto-Germanic *blautaz, whence also Old High German blōz (naked), Old Norse blautr. More at blouse.

Pronunciation[edit]

Adjective[edit]

blēat

  1. wretched

Declension[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Middle English: *blete, *bleet

West Frisian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old Frisian blāt, from Proto-Germanic *blautaz.

Adjective[edit]

bleat

  1. bare, naked
  2. poor

Inflection[edit]

Inflection of bleat
uninflected bleat
inflected bleate
comparative bleater
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial bleat bleater it bleatst
it bleatste
indefinite c. sing. bleate bleatere bleatste
n. sing. bleat bleater bleatste
plural bleate bleatere bleatste
definite bleate bleatere bleatste
partitive bleats bleaters

Further reading[edit]

  • bleat (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011