Illustration of dog
- 1 pastern
- 2 chest
- 3 flews
- 4 muzzle
- 5 stop
- 6 occiput
- 7 leather
- 8 crest
- 9 withers
- 10 loin
- 11 point of rump
- 12 hock or tarsus
- 13 knee or stifle
- 14 brisket
- 15 elbow
- 16 feathering
plural dogs
1
a
: a carnivorous mammal (Canis familiaris) closely related to the gray wolf that has long been domesticated as a pet, occurs in a variety of sizes, colors, and coat types, and is sometimes trained to perform special tasks (such as herding, guarding, or acting as a service animal)
After 31 years of Labrador retrievers holding the title, the American Kennel Club says French bulldogs were the most popular dog in America last year.—
Scott Simon
Scott Simon
b
: any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous mammals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog : canid
c
: a male dog compare bitch entry 1 sense 1
2
3
4
: uncharacteristic or affected stylishness or dignity see also put on the dog
5
6
7
8
informal
: an inferior one of its kind
The movie was a dog.
The stock is a dog. Earnings have been poor …—Douglas A. McIntyre
Douglas A. McIntyreLogic should dictate that a hefty sedan powered by a small four-cylinder motor should be a real dog of a thing to drive.—Keith Didham
Keith Didham9
slang, often disparaging + offensive
: an unattractive person
especially
: an unattractive girl or woman
10
informal
: hot dog sense 1
bought two dogs and a beer
dogged
ˈdȯgd 
ˈdägd
; dogging; dogs
1
a
: to hunt, track, or follow (someone) like a hound
dogged her every move
b
: to be a persistent source of difficulty or distress to (someone) : plague
Rumors dogged him throughout his public life.—Howard Chua-Eoan
—often used in the passive with byHoward Chua-EoanTheir star pitcher has been dogged by injuries.
The project has been dogged by controversy.
c
: to bother or pester (someone) persistently : hound
Reporters dogged her for information.
2
: to fasten (something) with a dog (see dog entry 1 sense 3)
dogged down the hatch
see also:
Synonyms of dog
Examples of dog in a Sentence
Noun
That dog barks all day long.
children playing with the family dog
wild dogs such as the Australian dingo
Her latest book turned out to be a real dog.
That was a dog of a movie.
Verb
He dogged her every move.
Creditors dogged him until he finally paid his bills.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Medical testing on dogs is legal in the United States, but it is heavily regulated under federal law.
—Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026
In multi-dog households, each dog should have its own bed to prevent conflict.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Inspired by UConn, other schools in the state, including Eastern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Saint Joseph, host dogs almost every week.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Six months later, on Sunday, April 12, his remains were found by a person walking a dog on Caja del Rio Road in Santa Fe County, New Mexico State Police said in a statement.
—Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Medical testing on dogs is legal in the United States, but it is heavily regulated under federal law.
—Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Meanwhile, critics in the anti-dog camp, some of whom seemed to object to the very concept of urban dogs, argued the poop proposals did not go nearly far enough.
—Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026
In multi-dog households, each dog should have its own bed to prevent conflict.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Dogs must be at least three months old, and dogs older than 12 months must be spayed or neutered.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
Inspired by UConn, other schools in the state, including Eastern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Saint Joseph, host dogs almost every week.
—Mikayla Bunnell, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dog
Cite this Entry
“Dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dog
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a domestic mammal that eats meat and is closely related to the gray wolf
b
: any animal of the family to which the dog belongs
c
: a male dog
2
a
: a worthless person
b
: person sense 1
you lucky dog
3
a
: any of various devices for holding, gripping, or fastening that consist of a spike, rod, or bar
b
: andiron
4
: a show of being stylish or rich
put on the dog
5
plural
: feet
dog
2 of 2 verb
dogged; dogging
: to hunt, track, or follow like a hound
Medical Definition
dog
nounoften attributive
: a highly variable carnivorous domesticated mammal of the genus Canis (C. familiaris) closely related to the common wolf (Canis lupus)
broadly
: any member of the family Canidae
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