whaup

See also: wha-up

English

Noun

whaup (plural whaups)

  1. (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
  • IPA(key): /ʍɑp/

Noun

whaup (plural whaups)

  1. curlew
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