rhizoverbBeta
DictionarybleatAnimal cry
noun / verb

bleat

BLEET/bliːt/

The wavering cry of a sheep, goat, or calf, or making this sound.

The sheep lifts its head and bleats with its mouth open.

A single sheep stands in side three-quarter view with its head lifted slightly and mouth open mid-bleat, making the animal's cry the clear focus.
Etymology
bleatOld Englishto bleat

Old English blætan named the animal cry, and its ancestry is imitative: the word echoes the sound it describes. The selected meaning preserves that direct connection to a sheep’s or goat’s call.

More examples

  • A distant bleat comes from the hillside.
  • The lambs bleated as the farmer approached.
  • He bleated about the delay but offered no solution.

Forms

bleat · bleats · bleated · bleating

Similar words

cry
A broad vocal sound without the animal-specific wavering quality.
whine
Matches the complaining extension rather than the characteristic animal cry.