bleat

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”).

noun

1. The characteristic cry of a sheep or a goat.

verb

1. Of a sheep or goat, to make its characteristic cry; of a human, to mimic this sound.
   In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 99
2. (informal, derogatory) Of a person, to complain.
   The last thing we need is to hear them bleating to us about organizational problems.
3. (informal, derogatory) Of a person, to say things of little importance to the listener.
   I can't have, for instance, Heracles come bleating to me at some future date, asking please can he have his bow back, and getting all stroppy when I refuse to tell him where it is. 2016, James Lovegrove, Age of Heroes, Solaris