Also 5 chyrpe, 6 churpe, shirp, 6–7 chirpe, 7 cherp. [A late word, evidently owing its origin to the working of mimetic modification upon the earlier synonyms CHIRK and CHIRT. The labial p with which chirp ends, being more suggestive of the movements of a bird’s bill (cf. cheep, peep, etc.), this has become the prevailing form, and the proper word for the action. (See also CHIRR.) Cf. mod.G. zirpen, a parallel imitative word.]
1. intr. To utter the short sharp thin sound proper to some small birds and certain insects.
1440. [see CHIRPING vbl. sb.]
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., I. 72. The yonge larkes … peping and chirping about their mother.
1570. Levins, Manip. Voc., To churpe, pipilare.
1579. Fulke, Refut. Rastel, 733. In our praiers wee must not chirpe like birdes, but sing like men.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 26. If the Sparrowes doe sing and chirpe beyond measure.
1629. Sclater, Exp. 2 Thess., 219. The swarmes of Locusts afresh chirping amongst vs.
1773. Barrington, Singing of Birds, in Phil. Trans., LXIII. 249. To chirp, is the first sound which a young bird utters … and is different in all nestlings.
1785. Sarah Fielding, Ophelia, II. ii. Crickets … chirped the live-long night.
1842. J. Wilson, Chr. North, I. 146. A few sparrows chirping … in the eaves.
b. trans. To utter by chirping.
1614. T. Adams, Devil’s Banquet, 61. The vncleane Sparrowes, cherping the voice of Lust on the house-tops.
1794. Southey, Wat Tyler, I. The linnet … Chirps her vernal song of love.
1816. Byron, Ch. Har., III. lxxxvi. Or chirps the grasshopper one good-night carol more.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., xli. (1854), 379. Snow-birds … chirping sweet music over their unexpected store-house.
2. intr. To make a sound imitative of, or similar to, the chirp of a bird; esp. to make a sound of suction with compressed lips by way of encouragement or greeting (now usually CHIRRUP).
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, 90. Rubbe hir feete with warme fleshe, chirping and whistling to hir.
1618. Latham, 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633), 25. Vsing your voice in whistling or chirping vnto her.
1647. Crashaw, Music’s Duel, Poems 89. The high-perch’d treble chirps at this.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lxxx. The tea-kettle had been … chirping as never kettle chirped before.
b. trans. To greet or incite by chirping; esp. with adverbial extension. c. To chirp up (U.S.): to cheer up.
1832. L. Hunt, Poems, Redi’s Bacchus in T., 205. Chirp it and challenge it [wine], swallow it down.
1880. Howells, Undisc. Country, xii. 161. The Shaker chirped his reeking horses into a livelier pace.
188[?]. J. Greenwood, Odd People in Odd Places, 87. I chirped her up for a time, but she did not last much longer.
3. intr. To speak in a manner compared in some respect to the chirping of birds.
a. To utter words feebly and faintly, to ‘cheep.’ b. To talk in sprightly and lively tones, to give utterance to cheerful feelings. Also to chirp it.
1604. Broughton, Corruption in Relig., 68. [They] graunt them more … then of themselues they durst euer chirp to speak for.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Upon Mrs. E. Wheeler. He chirpt for joy, to see himself disceav’d.
1664. Sir C. Lyttelton, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 38. As when you may remember wee chirpt it sometimes in Duke Street.
1823. Lamb, Elia, I. i. (1865), 5. How would he chirp, and expand, over a muffin.
1887. Hall Caine, Son of Hagar, I. I. ii. 40. They’re chirming and chirping like as many sparrows.
