dog

noun, often attributive \ ˈdȯg , ˈdäg \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of dog

1 a : canid

wolves, foxes, and other dogs

; especially : a highly variable domestic mammal (Canis familiaris) closely related to the gray wolf

the family's pet dog

b : a male dog

dogs and bitches

; also : a male usually carnivorous mammal

2 a : a worthless or contemptible person

b : fellow, chap

a lazy dog

you lucky dog

3 a : any of various usually simple mechanical devices for holding, gripping, or fastening that consist of a spike, bar, or hook

b : andiron

4 : uncharacteristic or affected stylishness or dignity

put on the dog

5 capitalized, astronomy : either of the constellations Canis Major or Canis Minor

6 dogs plural, anatomy : feet

rest his tired dogs

7 dogs plural : ruin

going to the dogs

8 : one inferior of its kind

the movie was a dog

: such as

a : an investment not worth its price

b : an undesirable piece of merchandise

9 : an unattractive person; especially : an unattractive girl or woman

10 : hot dog 1

bought two dogs and a beer

—

doglike

play \ˈdȯg-ˌlīk\ adjective

See dog defined for English-language learners

See dog defined for kids

Examples of dog in a Sentence

That dog barks all day long.
children playing with the family dog
wild dogs such as the Australian dingo
They say she's a real dog.
Her latest book turned out to be a real dog.
That was a dog of a movie.

Recent Examples of dog from the Web

Puppy and veteran sweepstakes, a parade of dogs in the morning and another show and junior handling in the afternoon.

— lisa peklo, Howard County Times, "Student players, national stars team for Jazz at the Ridge [West Friendship]," 5 Apr. 2018
But as all pet lovers know, no amount of compensation, punishment of the perpetrator or legislation can make up for the loss of a dog’s life, especially under circumstances that should never have happened in the first place.

— kim campbell thornton, sacbee, "Puppy paid for flight attendant’s error; how to avoid that situation | The Sacramento Bee," 4 Apr. 2018
Still, the Memphis Police Department was a pack of violent dogs unleashed.

— kirsten west savali, The Root, "Watch: Police Officers Terrorize Black Memphis During MLK’s Final March," 28 Mar. 2018
Two of the dogs were turned over to animal control, the Journal Sentinel reported.

— crystal hill, miamiherald, "Woman was mauled to death. Her dog guarded her body and ‘growled,’ officials say | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
Some of the dogs looked like they were being dragged, slinking down as the snow hit their faces.

— New York Times, "Snowstorm Pummels Eastern Seaboard," 22 Mar. 2018
The idea was spurred by his time in the Paris kitchens and even at Quince, a restaurant that once served truffles on iPads playing videos of dogs digging for truffles.

— justin phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Former Quince chef looks to combine food with art at new SoMa destination," 21 Mar. 2018
Then, after the team’s Cinderella run came to an end at the hands of Kansas State on Sunday, fans did the same thing. Because what better way to make everyone feel a little better about a loss than more photos of very good dogs?

— nina mandell, For The Win, "Fans showed their support for UMBC after loss by tweeting more photos of dogs," 19 Mar. 2018
That sum doesn’t include airfare but, this year, included a morning of dog sledding on the departure day.

— steve siler, Car and Driver, "Sliding with the Bulls: We Survive Lamborghini’s Winter Accademia," 17 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dog.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of dog

Origin and Etymology of dog

Middle English, from Old English docga

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

dog Synonyms

Synonyms

beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, heel, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, reptile, scum, skunk, slob, snake, stinker, swine, varmint, vermin;

Near Antonyms

hero, heroine, idol, role model;

gentleman, lady;

angel, saint;

loudmouth, vulgarian;

lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch;

booby, fool, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, nut;

airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dolt, dope, dork [slang], goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey;

Phrases

son of a gun;

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

dog

adjective

Definition of dog

transitive verb

1 : canine

dog breeders

a dog collar

2 : having an inferior or inauthentic quality : spurious

dog rhyme

; especially, languages : unlike that used by native speakers or writers

dog Latin

dog French

Recent Examples of dog from the Web

Dog beds: Hemp Vintage Stripe Envelope in Black; harrybarker.com.

— Southern Living, "Source Guide - September 2013," 1 Sep. 2013
For entertainment, there will be dog races, a police K-9 demonstration, dogs splashing into water and Repticon, a showing of exotic pets, consisting of reptiles, insects and amphibians.

— louis casiano jr., Orange County Register, "Meet and greet canines and critters, from furry to feathered, at Pet Expo in Costa Mesa," 28 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of dog

see ¹dog

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

dog

verb

Definition of dog

dogged play \ˈdȯgd, ˈdägd\; dogging

1 a : to hunt, track, or follow like a hound

dogged her every move

b : to worry as if by pursuit with dogs : plague

dogged by his past failures

c : to bother or pester persistently

dogged him about his grades

2 : to fasten with a simple mechanical device consisting of a spike, bar, or hook : to fasten with a dog (see ¹dog 3a)

dogged down the hatch

— dog it

: to fail to do one's best : goldbrick

See dog defined for English-language learners

Examples of dog in a Sentence

He dogged her every move.
Creditors dogged him until he finally paid his bills.

Recent Examples of dog from the Web

The rapper had been dogged by rumors for some time.

— chicagotribune.com, "Cardi B reveals pregnancy on 'Saturday Night Live'," 8 Apr. 2018
Over the years, Drayton has been dogged by controversy.

— melanie burney, Philly.com, "Rowan College at Burlington County President Paul Drayton stepping down, cites medical reasons," 7 Apr. 2018
The rumor was surprisingly given new life just as Pruitt has been dogged by a series of ethical scandals that have put his EPA job in jeopardy, in a report by CNN’s Pamela Brown and Kaitlan Collins.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "The Scott Pruitt for attorney general rumor Trump just angrily tweeted about, explained," 6 Apr. 2018
But Richard has also been dogged by criticism over communication and community outreach, issues that came to a head recently during debates over a proposed dog park in the French Quarter.

— beau evans, NOLA.com, "New Orleans recreation chief Vic Richard to step down May 4," 3 Apr. 2018
Mr Peña’s government has been dogged by allegations of graft.

— The Economist, "How AMLO could win Mexico’s election," 28 Mar. 2018
Prime Minister Najib Razak has been dogged by a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal involving an indebted state fund, and rights activists fear the new law could be used to criminalize news reports and critical opinions on government misconduct.

— eileen ng, The Christian Science Monitor, "Malaysia to punish fake news with 10-year jail sentence," 26 Mar. 2018
Hayes and his management team have been dogged by chronic production problems related to Pratt & Whitney’s next-generation jet engine.

— stephen singer, courant.com, "Report: Hayes To Remain At UTC 3 To 5 Years, But CEO Says He's Staying Put," 20 Mar. 2018
City captain Kompany has also been dogged by injuries, but returns time and time again without losing a step.

— SI.com, "North vs South: Picking the Strongest Possible Teams to Compete in a Premier League All Star Match," 28 Feb. 2018

Origin and Etymology of dog

see ¹dog

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1519

See Words from the same year

dog Synonyms

Phrases

run after;

dog

adverb

Definition of dog

: extremely, utterly

dog-tired

Origin and Etymology of dog

see ¹dog

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1526

See Words from the same year

DOG Defined for Kids

dog

noun \ ˈdȯg \

Definition of dog for Students

1 : a domestic animal that eats meat and is closely related to the wolves

2 : any of the group of mammals (as wolves, foxes, and jackals) to which the domestic dog belongs

3 : person 1

You lucky dog!

—

doglike

\ˈdȯ-ˌglīk\ adjective

dog

verb

Definition of dog for Students

dogged; dogging

1 : to hunt, track, or follow like a hound

I dogged them all the way.

2 : pester

3 : to cause problems for

Injuries dogged the team.

Medical Dictionary

dog

noun, often attributive \ ˈdȯg \

medical Definition of dog

: 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