Blep: what it means when your dog bleps

White husky with its tongue out in a blue stripes bow tie collar and leash

DoggoLingo dictionary

noun / verb · also: blepping

blep: When the tip of the tongue pokes out and just… stays there.

A blep is the tiny tongue tip left peeking out of a closed mouth, usually by accident, usually for an embarrassingly long time. Not a pant. Not a lick. Just blep.

In DoggoLingo

“Forgot to put tongue back in. Is fine. Blep.”

Use “blep” in a sentence

Mocha has been doing a blep for ten minutes and nobody has the heart to say anything.

Blep: the real science

Blep, defined

A blep is when an animal has a bit of its tongue hanging out of its mouth. It isn't a full-tongued pant, and it isn't a mlem, the quick lick of the nose. [1]

Tongues do a lot

A dog's tongue does real work: panting with the tongue out is how dogs cool down. [2] A blep is usually just a relaxed face. A tongue that always hangs out, or a sudden change, is worth showing your vet.

Blep questions

What does blep mean?

A blep is when a dog or cat leaves the tip of its tongue sticking out of its mouth. [1]

What's the difference between blep and mlem?

A blep is the tongue resting outside the mouth; a mlem is the quick lick of the nose or chops. [3]

How we got this

Not veterinary advice. Last reviewed:

The meaning comes from how the word is used online and from slang dictionaries. The science section says only what the linked sources say; we read each one before quoting it. The drawing and example sentences are made up for fun.

Sources

  1. blep (slang). Dictionary.com. Supports: A blep is when an animal has a portion of its tongue hanging out of its mouth; it is not a full pant and not a mlem.
  2. The marvel of dogs' tongues. VCA Animal Hospitals. Supports: Panting with the tongue out helps a dog cool down; licking promotes the release of endorphins; dogs have about 1,700 taste buds to a human's 9,000.
  3. mlem (slang). Dictionary.com. Supports: Mlem is the sound a dog makes when its tongue darts out to lick something, especially its own nose or chops.

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