Hypertext Webster Gateway: "whining"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Whine \Whine\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Whined}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Whining}.] [OE. whinen, AS. hw[=i]nan to make a whistling,
whizzing sound; akin to Icel. hv[=i]na, Sw. hvina, Dan.
hvine, and probably to G. wiehern to neigh, OHG. wih[=o]n,
hweij[=o]n; perhaps of imitative origin. Cf. {Whinny}, v. i.]
To utter a plaintive cry, as some animals; to moan with a
childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress,
or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain
or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely. ``Whining
plovers.'' --Spenser.
The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a
whining accent, craving liberty. --Sir P.
Sidney.
Dost thou come here to whine? --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
whining
adj 1: habitually complaining; "a whining child" [syn: {fretful}, {querulous},
{whiney}, {whining(a)}, {whiny}]
2: long and high-pitched like a whine or plaintive crying
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