war whoop

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical: a loud cry used as a signal or expression of aggression when entering battle

   The account describes a war whoop sounding just before the fighters advanced.

2. 2
   noun

   informal: any loud cry of excitement, encouragement, or triumph

   A spectator let out a war whoop when the winning goal crossed the line.

A compound of war + whoop, recorded in American English from the eighteenth century. Historical writing often applied it specifically to Indigenous North American battle cries and later used it in stereotypes; broader informal use means any loud excited yell. Whoop is imitative in origin.

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