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 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 dog it
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
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The Gophers called off the dogs in the final period, with the hosts recording the lone score of the stanza to avoid being shutout at home.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
However, non-dog companions must remain in a carrier at all times for their safety.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Bri Buckley, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Then elbow trouble dogged him in 2024 and ultimately forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery after his NL Wild Card Series start, wiping out the 2025 season entirely.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Daily life has been upended at schools, hospitals, stores and restaurants and in neighborhoods where sidewalks were once well-trodden with runners, people walking their dogs, families taking daily strolls and children heading back home after getting dropped off by the bus.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 24 Jan. 2026
The Gophers called off the dogs in the final period, with the hosts recording the lone score of the stanza to avoid being shutout at home.
—Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The team then collected saliva microbiome samples from 247 non-dog owning and 96 dog-owning adolescents.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
However, non-dog companions must remain in a carrier at all times for their safety.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Zumba and dog friendly fitness classes.
—Bri Buckley, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Then elbow trouble dogged him in 2024 and ultimately forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery after his NL Wild Card Series start, wiping out the 2025 season entirely.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
