▪ I. cheep, n. Chiefly Sc.
(tʃiːp)
[f. cheep v.]
1. A faint shrill sound, such as the voice of a young bird or a mouse.
| a 1774 Fergusson Sitting of Session Poems (1845) 27 The slow-gaun wheels when dry..gie mony a cheep and cry. 1786 Burns Ordination, Come screw the pegs wi' tunefu' cheep. 1829 Cunningham Magic Bridle, Anniversary 139 The mouse's cheep and cricket's chirrup. 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle x. (1859) 210 The cheep of the tiller rope running through the well greased leading blocks. |
2. A sign, sound; chiefly in colloq. phr. not a cheep (out of).
| 1962 ‘A. Gilbert’ No Dust in Attic v. 62 Janice had disappeared very suddenly..and there hadn't been a cheep out of her since she went. 1969 J. Fraser Cock-pit of Roses xvi. 124 What the hell's this all about? No sign of emotion whatsoever. Not a cheep. |
▪ II. cheep, v. Chiefly Sc.
(tʃiːp)
Forms: ? 4, 6 chepe, cheip, cheape, 6–7 cheepe, 9 cheap, 8– cheep.
[An imitative word.]
1. intr. To utter shrill feeble sounds like those of young birds, mice, bats, etc.
| 1513 Douglas æneis xii. viii. 76 Hir birdis chepand in thare nest. 1530 Lyndesay Test. Papyngo 698 We sall gar cheknis cheip and geaslyngis pew. 1570 Levins Manip. 70 To cheepe, pipilare. 1606 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 71 A good conditioned Henne..after she hath once heard them cheape or chirpe vnder her. 1802 Scott Minstr. Sc. Bord. Pref. 75 The maxim of the Douglasses, that ‘it was better to hear the lark sing, than the mouse cheep’. 1845 Hirst Poems 50 A bat affrighted cheeps In some deserted room. 1883 J. H. Ewing Jackanapes 15. |
2. trans. To utter with a cheeping voice.
| 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle xii. (1859) 272 ‘Hold hard now’, cheeps little Conchy. 1847 Tennyson Princ. iv. 83, I would pipe and trill, And cheep and twitter twenty million loves. 1883 Century Mag. Aug. 487/2 They cheep a good-morning to one another in soft, cheerful voices. |
Hence ˈcheeping vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| a 1605 Montgomerie Flyting 774 Thy cheiping and peiping with weiping thou salt rew. 1762 J. Man Buchanan's Hist. Scot. 385 note, This Archbald is sirnamed..cheeping Archbald from the way of his pronunciation. 1611 Cotgr., Piolement, the..cheeping of sparrowes or young birds. 1854 Thoreau Walden i. (1863) 59 Good for nothing but to raise cheeping squirrels on. 1886 All Y. Round 4 Sept. 103 The decks..resounded incessantly with the noise of hammers; of cheeping blocks. |