beep
/biːp
/noun
A short, high-pitched sound emitted by electronic equipment or a vehicle horn: leave a message after the beep...
- Someone was beeping a car horn, long and short beeps that sounded like Morse code.
- Sorry I couldn't come to the phone right now, but leave your name number and a short message after the beep and I'll holler right back atcha!
- The sound of an electronic beep, over and over again, echoing my heartbeats.
verb [no object]
1(Of a horn or electronic device) produce a beep: the machines were beeping and the tills humming...
- I groan when one of the devices starts beeping or ringing or humming in a darkened theater.
- Different mechanical devices beeped and whirred on tables and panels.
- The car horn beeped, signaling that my father was getting extremely impatient.
1.1 [with object] chiefly North American Summon (someone) by means of a pager: they have themselves beeped in restaurants...
- His Palm now beeps him to take the drug, as well as his vitamins.
- This could be one of his juiciest scoops in months, and it was all Jared could do to stop himself from beeping Todd again.
- She was asleep at the hotel when I beeped her, but she admitted that she would do anything to get away from Alex.
Origin
1920s: imitative.