whaup
See also: wha-up
English edit
Noun edit
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 edit
- Sometimes great whaup is used for the curlew, as opposed to little whaup for the whimbrel.
Scots edit
Etymology edit
From Old English hwilpe, or perhaps a variant *hwalp(e). Cognate with West Frisian wylp, Low German Welp, Dutch wulp.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
whaup (plural whaups)