Pupping

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process through which certain mammals produce young, notably in species like seals and dogs, represents a significant reproductive behavior
2. In specific animal species, particularly some mammals, this term identifies the act of childbirth and the rearing of pups
3. The term refers to the act of giving birth to and nurturing young offspring, especially among certain mammals like seals and dogs

Etymology: "Pupping" is the present participle of "pup", the verb meaning to give birth to young, typically of dogs, seals and some other animals. The verb comes from the noun, which is the older and more basic word: a young dog, or a young animal of various kinds, and only later a verb for the act of bearing one. The noun's origin is the same story of a small, familiar creature naming the act of producing it, so "pupping" describes what the parent does at the moment the litter arrives.

Synonyms: whelping