Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
WhatsApp en · NOUN
Etymology
Blend of what's up + app, coined as a trademark.
Meanings
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A message sent via WhatsApp.
David Spearing, if it weren’t for our weird late-night whatsapps and you literally saying the words ‘THE CREAKERS’ to me, then this book would never have happened and I can’t thank you enough for all your ideas and directorial wizardry on all the videos we make.
2017, Tom Fletcher, “Acknowledgements”, in The Creakers, London: Puffin Books, →ISBN, page 342:Fourteen iMessages, six WhatsApps, and two missed calls. She frowned, confused by the list of names appearing. She wasn't that popular.
2016, Sarah Pinborough, 13 Minutes, New York, N.Y.: Flatiron Books, published October 2017, →ISBN, page 9:A WhatsApp buzzed through.
2015, Jenny Stallard, “Monday, 19 October”, in Boyfriend by Christmas, London: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 251:
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An account or number on WhatsApp.
Forms
Translations (18)
nl appje (message) · nl whatsapp (message) · nl whatsappbericht (message) · es wásap (message) · es was (message) · id WA (message) · ko 왓츠앱 (message) · pt WhatsApp (message) · ru ватсап (account) · es wasap (message) · pt WhatsApp (account) · es whatsapp (message) · es guasap (message) · es guásap (message) · de WhatsApp-Nachricht (message) · ja ワッツアップ (message) · nl WhatsAppbericht (message) · ta வாட்ஸ்அப் (message)
WhatsApp en · PROPN
Etymology
Blend of what's up + app, coined as a trademark.
Meanings
-
An instant messaging service founded in 2009 and acquired by Facebook in 2014.
He spends half of his day chatting to people on WhatsApp.
Like many people, in the pandemic, my life digitized. My work shifted online; my friendships retreated onto FaceTime and WhatsApp; I used a dating app for the first time; I started doing online yoga.
2022 September 27, Barclay Bram, “My Therapist, the Robot”, in The New York Times:
Forms
Deriveds
WhatsApper · WhatsApp University
Synonyms
WTS
Translations (10)
fa وات (messaging service) · ar واتساب (messaging service) · rsk Вацап (messaging service) · pt WhatsApp (messaging service) · ru ватсап (messaging service) · cmn 瓦次艾普 (messaging service) · cmn 瓦次普 (messaging service) · ta வாட்ஸ்அப் (messaging service) · pt Zap (messaging service) · fa واتساپ (messaging service)
WhatsApp en · VERB
Etymology
Blend of what's up + app, coined as a trademark.
Meanings
-
(transitive) To contact (someone) via WhatsApp.
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(ditransitive) To send (something) via WhatsApp to (someone).
People often say pooping is taboo, but lately it seems more like a cultural fetish. There are poop emoji birthday parties for three-year-olds, people WhatsApping photos of their ordure to friends, TripAdvisor threads on how to avoid or avail yourself of squat toilets.
2018 November 30, Alex Blasdel, “Bowel movement: the push to change the way you poo”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:And no one sends emails like that anymore because now we’re all just doing what, obviously, everyone does, is WhatsApping each other short little things.
2025 August 13, Sam Graham-Felsen, “Where Did All My Male Friendships Go?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2025:
Forms
Translations (7)
nl appen (to contact via WhatsApp) · id WA (to contact via WhatsApp) · de whatsappen (to contact via WhatsApp) · nl whatsappen (to contact via WhatsApp) · es guasapear (to contact via WhatsApp) · es wasapear (to contact via WhatsApp) · es whatsappear (to contact via WhatsApp)