From Middle English clepen, clepien, from Old English cleopian, clipian ("to speak, cry out, call, summon, invoke, cry to, implore"), from Proto-Germanic *klipōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gal-.

• IPA: /kliːp/

clepe (clepes, present participle cleping; simple past and past participle cleped)

1. (intransitive, archaic or dialectal) To give a call; cry out; appeal.
2. (transitive, archaic or dialectal) To call; call upon; cry out to.
3. (transitive, archaic or dialectal) To call to oneself; invite; summon.
4. (transitive, archaic or dialectal) To call; call by the name of; name.
   • 1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC ↗, lines [995–996]:

     She clepes him king of graues, & graue for kings, / Imperious ſupreme of all mortall things.

5. (intransitive, now, chiefly, dialectal, often with 'on') To tell lies about; inform against (someone).
6. (intransitive, now, chiefly, dialectal) To be loquacious; tattle; gossip.
7. (transitive, now, chiefly, dialectal) To report; relate; tell.

• (call by the name of) designate, dub, name; see also Thesaurus:denominate
• (tell lies about; inform against) grass, snitch; see also Thesaurus:rat out
• (be loquacious; tattle; gossip) blab; see also Thesaurus:gossip or Thesaurus:chatter

clepe (plural clepes)

1. (now, chiefly, dialectal) A cry; an appeal; a call.