chirp

A2 Topic:Animals

US /t͡ʃɚp/ UK /t͡ʃɜːp/ See IPA manual

Freq #18992

Meanings

1

noun
A short, high, cheerful sound made by a small bird or insect.

The chirps of the crickets filled the warm evening air.
2

verb
To make short, high, cheerful sounds, as birds and insects do.

The birds were chirping in the bushes at dawn.
3

verb
To speak in a high, cheerful, lively voice.

"Good morning!" she chirped happily.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to make short, high,... peep twitter

Word family

Forms chirpedchirpingchirps

Derived forms chirperchirpingchirpinglychirpletchirpydechirpdownchirpgammachirpinterchirpunchirpedupchirp

Etymology

From Middle English *chirpen (attested only in the derivative Middle English chirpinge, cyrpynge, chyrypynge (“chirping”). Compare Middle English chirken and chirmen. More at chirk, chirm. Compare also Middle English chirten (“to smack, chirrup”).

*chirpen Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Animals

External links

# chirp

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /t͡ʃɚp/
**IPA (UK):** /t͡ʃɜːp/
**Frequency rank:** 18992

## Meanings
1. A short, high, cheerful sound made by a small bird or insect.
2. To make short, high, cheerful sounds, as birds and insects do.
3. To speak in a high, cheerful, lively voice.

## Examples
- The chirps of the crickets filled the warm evening air.
- The birds were chirping in the bushes at dawn.
- "Good morning!" she chirped happily.

## Derived Forms
- chirper
- chirping
- chirpingly
- chirplet
- chirpy
- dechirp
- downchirp
- gammachirp
- interchirp
- unchirped
- upchirp

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *chirpen

## Etymology
From Middle English *chirpen (attested only in the derivative Middle English chirpinge, cyrpynge, chyrypynge (“chirping”). Compare Middle English chirken and chirmen. More at chirk, chirm. Compare also Middle English chirten (“to smack, chirrup”).

## AI Etymology
chirp is a noun and verb. It is from Middle English *chirpen (attested only in the derivative Middle English chirpinge, cyrpynge, chyrypynge (“chirping”). Compare Middle English chirken and chirmen. More at chirk, chirm. Compare also Middle English chirten (“to smack, chirrup”). Historical forms in the chain include *chirpen (Middle English). Current senses include a short, high, cheerful sound made by a small bird or insect, to make short, high, cheerful sounds, as birds and insects do, and to speak in a high, cheerful, lively voice. Derived forms include chirper, chirping, chirpingly, chirplet, and chirpy.

## Topics
- Animals

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