Blep

/blep/

noun · verb

A blep is an animal’s tongue peeking slightly out of its mouth, often noted affectionately in a caption or comment.

#internet slang
#DoggoLingo
#animal captions
#cat language

Meaning

Online, a blep is the small portion of an animal’s tongue showing beyond its mouth, especially in a photo or video. People also use “blep” as a verb for making that expression. It is usually an affectionate, playful caption or comment. The useful distinction from mlem is that a blep is a tongue peek, while a mlem is a licking motion, though the terms can overlap.[1][2][3]

1. Noun: a small amount of an animal’s tongue protruding from its mouth.
2. Verb: to show a little tongue, or to make the expression associated with a tongue peek.

A small brown rabbit stands in grass behind a dark wire, with the tip of its tongue visible beneath its nose. — The rabbit’s small tongue peek is a clear example of what people call a blep. The term is not limited to cats and dogs. Source

Examples

“That sleepy kitten has the tiniest blep.”

“The rabbit in this photo is doing a blep.”

“I thought it was a blep, but that quick nose lick looks more like a mlem.”

Origin and spread

Blep belongs to DoggoLingo, the affectionate online animal vocabulary that uses cutesy forms and onomatopoeic words. NPR’s 2017 account includes blep among the tongue-related terms and notes its use for cats as well as dogs. Dictionary.com reports that r/blep was dedicated to cat pictures starting in 2014, that Imgur and Urban Dictionary discussed blep in 2015, and that the term later spread to other animals. Those are records of circulation, not proof of a first coiner or first use; the spelling alone does not establish a precise sound imitation.[1][2]

How to use it

Blep is informal and usually affectionate when used with animal photos or videos. Use it for a tongue that is peeking out; use mlem when the focus is a lick, especially a quick nose or mouth lick. The distinction is a practical guide, not a rule every post follows.

A blue infographic titled “BLEPS & MLEMS” compares the terms in two columns, with labeled animal photos and close-ups of their tongues. — This annotated DoggoLingo example contrasts a slight tongue peek, labeled “blep,” with licking, labeled “mlem.” The distinction is useful, though online usage can overlap. Source

A useful blep–mlem distinction

Dictionary.com describes a blep as a tongue tip peeking out and contrasts it with mlem, usually a lick of the nose. Know Your Meme notes that the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, so treat the distinction as helpful rather than absolute.[1][3]

The word is not cat-only

Cats are prominent in early blep examples, but Dictionary.com says the term spread to other adorable animals. NPR also describes its use for cats, alongside its account of DoggoLingo vocabulary.[1][2]

Questions people ask

Is a blep only a cat expression?

No. Dictionary.com says the word was originally associated with cats but spread to other animals; NPR also describes blep for cats within broader DoggoLingo use.[1][2]

What is the practical difference between blep and mlem?

A blep is a small tongue peek; mlem usually describes licking, often toward the nose or mouth. The distinction is not universal, and Know Your Meme notes that the terms can be used interchangeably.[1][3]

Does the 2014 subreddit establish when blep was coined?

No. Dictionary.com reports that r/blep was named in 2014, which documents an online community around the word by then but does not identify its first use or a coiner.[1]

Sources

1. Dictionary.com — blepSupports: meaning, origin, form.
2. NPR — Dogs Are Doggos: An Internet Language Built Around Love For The PuppersSupports: meaning, origin.
3. Know Your Meme — MlemSupports: meaning.