chirp

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verb

ˈchərp 

chirped; chirping; chirps

1

intransitive : to make a chirp or a sound resembling a chirp

chirping birds

… he had listened many times to the sound of grasshoppers chirping in the grass, and he had always liked the noise that they made.

—Roald Dahl

… Jesse Levine was luxuriating at home in Boca Raton last month when his cellphone chirped.

—L. Jon Wertheim

2

transitive : to utter (something) with a cheerful liveliness

She sang three songs … and chirped "Goodbye everybody! See you tomorrow!"

—Garrison Keillor

3

intransitive informal : to make sharply critical, complaining, or taunting remarks

Emotions boiled over for Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and cornerback Josh Norman after the two chirped at each other consistently for two weeks.

—Ben Volin

After the fight, which McLeod more or less won, the two chirped at each other in the penalty box …

—USA Today

… some of his teammates chirped about the officiating …

—Jack McCallum

chirp

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noun

: the characteristic short sharp sound especially of a small bird or insect

Synonyms

Verb

• cheep
• chirrup
• chitter
• jargon
• peep
• pip
• pipe
• tweet
• twitter

Examples of chirp in a Sentence

Verb

The birds were chirping in the trees.

We heard the crickets chirping.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Because, really, who doesn't love digging into a favorite dish while feeling the breeze against their cheek, the birds chirping, and the grass under their toes? —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2024

For nearly an hour, there were no sounds—no laughs, no cricket chirps, no ticking of a clock. —Jack Handey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024

Noun

Set an alert on your phone. Change batteries as needed: The occasional chirp coming from your smoke detector is more than an annoying sound. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2024

Coming off the clutch in between shifts lets out a nice chirp from the rear tires, and while the flat-four may sound a bit gravelly at idle, its tone turns to a fierce, baritone bark from the midrange until its 7,000 RPM redline. —Peter Nelson, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

chirp

verb

ˈchərp

: to make a short sharp sound like a small bird or cricket

chirp noun