chirp

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /tʃɜː(ɹ)p/
Rhymes: -ɜː(r)p

Noun

chirp (plural chirps)

A short, sharp or high note or noise, as of a bird or insect.
(radar, sonar, radio telescopy etc.) A pulse of signal whose frequency sweeps through a band of frequencies for the duration of the pulse.

Derived terms

downchirp
upchirp

Translations

birds

Arabic: تَغْرِيدَة‎ f (taḡrīda), تَغْرِيد‎ m (taḡrīd)
Egyptian Arabic: تغريدة‎ f (taġrīda), تغريد‎ m (taġrīd)
Bulgarian: чуруликане n (čurulikane)
Finnish: sirkutus (fi), viserrys
French: pépiement (fr) m, piaillement (fr) m
Greek: τιτίβισμα (el) n (titívisma)
Hebrew: צִיּוּץ‎ m (tsiyúts)
Hungarian: csicsergés (hu), csiripelés
Italian: cinguettio (it) m, trillo (it) m

Kurdish:
Sorani: چرکا‎ (çirka)
Maori: waiari
Polish: świergot (pl) m
Portuguese: gorjeio m, trinado m, chilro (pt) m
Russian: чик-чири́к (čik-čirík) (onomatopeia), ще́бет (ru) m (ščébet), чири́канье (ru) n (čiríkanʹje), щебета́ние (ru) n (ščebetánije)
Spanish: trino (es) m
Tagalog: siyap

insects

Bulgarian: цвъртене (bg) pl (cvǎrtene)
Finnish: siritys (fi)
French: stridulation (fr), craquètement (fr)
German: Zirpen n
Greek: τερέτισμα (el) n (terétisma)
Hebrew: צִיּוּץ‎ m (tsiyúts)
Hungarian: ciripelés (hu)

Italian: stridio (it) m
Kurdish:
Sorani: چرکا‎ (çirka)
Maori: kitā
Portuguese: cricrilar m
Russian: жужжа́ние (ru) n (žužžánije), гуде́ние (ru) n (gudénije)
Spanish: chirrido (es) m

Verb

chirp (third-person singular simple present chirps, present participle chirping, simple past and past participle chirped)

(intransitive) to make a short, sharp, cheerful note, as of small birds or crickets
(intransitive) to speak in a high-pitched staccato
(transitive, radar, sonar, radio telescopy etc.) To modify (a pulse of signal) so that it sweeps through a band of frequencies throughout its duration.

Translations

birds

Arabic: غَرَّدَ‎ (ḡarrada)
Bulgarian: чуруликам (čurulikam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 鳴 (zh), 鸣 (zh) (míng), 譟 (zh), 噪 (zh) (zào), 唧唧叫 (zh) (jījī jiào)
Danish: kvidre
Dutch: tjilpen (nl), tjirpen (nl)
Finnish: sirkuttaa, visertää
French: gazouiller (fr), piailler (fr), pépier (fr)
German: zwitschern (de), zirpen (de)
Greek: τιτιβίζω (el) (titivízo), κελαηδώ (el) (kelaïdó)

Hungarian: csicsereg (hu), csiripel (hu)
Italian: cinguettare
Japanese: 鳴く (ja) (なく, naku)
Latin: pīpiō, pīpilō
Maori: waiari, ketekete, pekī, pīpī
Persian: چاویدن‎ (fa) (čâvidan)
Polish: świergotać (pl)
Portuguese: gorjear, trinar, chilrear (pt)
Romanian: ciripi (ro)
Russian: чири́кать (ru) (čiríkatʹ), щебета́ть (ru) (ščebetátʹ)
Spanish: trinar (es)
Tagalog: sumiyap

insects

Bulgarian: цвъртя (bg) (cvǎrtja)
Dutch: tjirpen (nl)
Finnish: sirittää
French: striduler (fr), craqueter (fr)
German: zirpen (de)
Greek: τερετίζω (el) (teretízo)
Hungarian: ciripel (hu)

Italian: frinire (it)
Maori: kitā, whakakitā
Portuguese: cricrilar
Russian: жужжа́ть (ru) (žužžátʹ)
Spanish: chirriar (es), grillar (es)
Tagalog: sumiyap

to speak in high pitch

Finnish: kimittää (fi)