bleat

Alternative forms

• blate, blait (Scotland)

Etymology

From Middle English bleten, from Old English blǣtan (“to bleat”), from Proto-Germanic *blētijaną (“to bleat”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to howl, cry, bleat”). Cognate with Scots blete, bleit (“to bleat”), Saterland Frisian blēte, blētsje (“to bleat”), Dutch blaten, bleiten (“to bleat”), Low German bleten (“to bleat”), German blaßen, blässen (“to bleat”); compare Ancient Greek βληχή (blēkhḗ), Old Church Slavonic блєꙗти (blejati), and also Latin fleō (“cry, weep”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːt

Noun

bleat (plural bleats)

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

Verb

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.
2. (informal) Of a person, to complain.

   The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.

Anagrams

• ablet, blate, table

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblæːɑ̯t/

Adjective

blēat

1. wretched