whoop

[hoop, hoo p; especially for 1, 11–4, 6–9 hwoop, hwoo p, woop, woo p] /hup, hʊp; especially for 1, 11–4, 6–9 ʰwup, ʰwʊp, wup, wʊp/
noun
1.
a loud cry or shout, as of excitement or joy.
2.
the sound made by a person suffering from whooping cough.
verb (used without object)
3.
to utter a loud cry or shout in expressing enthusiasm, excitement, etc.
4.
to cry as an owl, crane, or certain other birds.
5.
to make the characteristic sound accompanying the deep intake of air following a series of coughs in whooping cough.
verb (used with object)
6.
to utter with or as if with a whoop.
7.
to whoop to or at.
8.
to call, urge, pursue, or drive with whoops:
to whoop dogs on.
interjection
9.
(used as a cry to attract attention from afar, or to show excitement, encouragement, enthusiasm, etc.)
Verb phrases
10.
whoop up, Informal. to promote or praise; extol:
a class reunion where they whoop up the good old days.
Idioms
11.
not worth a whoop, Informal. to be worthless:
Their promises aren't worth a whoop.
12.
whoop it up, Informal.
  1. to raise a disturbance, as to celebrate noisily:
    They whooped it up after winning the big game.
  2. to stir up enthusiasm, as for an idea or project:
    Every spring they whoop it up for the circus.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English whopen, Old English hwōpan to threaten; cognate with Gothic hwopan to boast
Examples from the web for whoop
  • For now, the content being made available is no big whoop.
  • What they found was lots of back-and-forth variation in the population and then-whoop-a whole new species.
  • There may be a high-pitched whoop sound after the coughing fits.
  • The illness is characterized by a prolonged paroxysmal cough often accompanied by an inspiratory whoop.
British Dictionary definitions for whoop

whoop

/wuːp/
verb
1.
to utter (speech) with loud cries, as of enthusiasm or excitement
2.
(med) to cough convulsively with a crowing sound made at each inspiration
3.
(of certain birds) to utter (a hooting cry)
4.
(transitive) to urge on or call with or as if with whoops
5.
(informal) whoop it up (wʊp; wuːp)
  1. to indulge in a noisy celebration
  2. (US) to arouse enthusiasm
noun
6.
a loud cry, esp one expressing enthusiasm or excitement
7.
(med) the convulsive crowing sound made during a paroxysm of whooping cough
8.
(informal) not worth a whoop, worthless
See also whoops
Word Origin
C14: of imitative origin
Word Origin and History for whoop
v.

mid-14c., houpen, partly imitative, partly from Old French houper "to cry out," also imitative. It is attested as an interjection from at least mid-15c. The noun is recorded from c.1600. Extended form whoopee is attested from 1845, originally American English; whoopee cushion is attested from 1960. Phrase whoop it up "create a disturbance" is recorded from 1884. Expression whoop-de-do is recorded from 1929. Whooping cough (1739) is now the prevalent spelling of hooping cough; whooping crane is recorded from 1791.

whoop in Medicine

whoop (hōōp, hwōōp, wōōp)
n.
The paroxysmal gasp characteristic of whooping cough.