bleat

Plural: bleats

Noun

the sound of sheep or goats (or any sound resembling this)
The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.

Verb

Verb Forms: bleated, bleating, bleats

To utter the characteristic cry of a sheep or goat.
talk whiningly
cry plaintively
- "The lambs were bleating"
Of a sheep or goat, to make its characteristic cry of baas; of a human, to mimic this sound.
Of a person, to complain.
Of a person, to say things of little importance to the listener.

Examples

The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.
The losing player might BLEAT a complaint about unfair tile draws.

Origin / Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

baa, blat, blate, baaing, bleating, kvetch, moan, whine, whinge

Scrabble Score: 7

bleat: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
bleat: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bleat: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

bleat: valid Words With Friends Word