Brewer's: Whelps

Fifth-rate men of war. Thus, in Howell's letters we read, “At the return of this fleet two of the whelps were cast away”; and in the Travels of Sir W. Brereton we read, “I went aboard one of the king's ships, called the ninth whelp, which is ... 215 ton and tonnage in king's books.” In Queen Elizabeth's navy was a ship called Iron's Whelp, and her navy was distinguished as first, second ... tenth whelp.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language