dog

1 of 4

noun

ˈdȯg  ˈdäg 

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

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

informal

a

: a worthless or contemptible person

"Dog of an unbeliever," said an old man …

—Sir Walter Scott

b

: fellow, chap

you lucky dog

3

: any of various usually simple mechanical devices (such as an andiron or a detent) for holding, gripping, or fastening that consist of a spike, bar, or hook

4

: uncharacteristic or affected stylishness or dignity see also put on the dog

5

Dog astronomy : either of the constellations Canis Major or Canis Minor

6

dogs plural, slang : feet

rest his tired dogs

7

the dogs plural, informal : ruin

It's enough to drive anyone to the dogs.

see also go to the dogs

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

Logic 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

9

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

doglike

ˈdȯg-ˌlīk 

adjective

a doglike animal

doglike behaviors

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

dog

2 of 4

adjective

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

dog

3 of 4

verb

dogged ˈdȯgd 

ˈdägd

; dogging; dogs

transitive verb

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 by

Their 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

dog

4 of 4

adverb

informal

: extremely, utterly

dog cheap

—sometimes used in combination

In plain West Virginia-speak, the situation is dog-ugly.

—Mitch Vingle

see also dog-tired

Synonyms of dog

Noun

• puppy
• canine
• mutt
• pooch
• bitch
• pup
• doggy

Verb

• chase
• track
• pursue
• tail
• escort
• follow

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

Noun

The dog was treated with two doses of Narcan and is now back to full energy. —Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026

Anna awakes in her chic apartment with a to-die-for view, makes a cappuccino, puts on designer duds and takes the upscale dog for a walk. —Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 10 Apr. 2026

Adjective

In multi-dog households, each dog should have its own bed to prevent conflict. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026

This invisible fence system is designed for multi-dog households and helps reinforce boundaries. —Trisha Easto, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Verb

Corruption allegations also dogged the takeover bid. —Angelica Ang, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026

And Robinson, who was dogged for months by knee pain after a surgery last year, was excellent in his return to the field in both games. —Becky Sullivan, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English docga

Adjective

from attributive use of dog entry 1

Verb

derivative of dog entry 1

Adverb

derivative of dog entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1526, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dog

• a dog's breakfast
• a dog's life
• African hunting dog
• African wild dog
• American dog tick
• (as) sick as a dog
• attack dog
• Australian cattle dog
• Bernese mountain dog
• bird-dog
• brown dog tick
• Canaan dog
• cant dog
• chili dog
• coach dog
• corn dog
• dog and pony show
• dog biscuit
• dog bone
• dog collar
• dog days
• dog-ear
• dog-eared
• dog-eat-dog
• dog fennel
• dog in the manger
• dog it
• dog paddle
• dog park
• dog-pile
• dog rose
• dog's breakfast
• dog's chance
• dog tag
• dog tick
• dog-tired
• dog warden
• dog-whistle
• downward dog
• downward facing dog
• every dog has his/its day
• feed dog
• fight like cat and dog
• foo dog
• foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
• fu dog
• guard dog
• guide dog
• hair of the dog (that bit you)
• hearing dog
• hot dog
• in a dog's age
• lap dog
• pariah dog
• police dog
• Portuguese water dog
• prairie dog
• puppy dog
• put on the dog
• pye-dog
• raccoon dog
• red dog
• running dog
• sausage dog
• sea dog
• shaggy-dog
• shaggy-dog story
• shepherd dog
• show dog
• sick as a dog
• sled dog
• sniffer dog
• sun dog
• that's a good boy/girl/dog (etc.)
• the tail wagging the dog
• top dog
• water dog
• wiener dog
• wild dog
• wolf dog
• working dog
• yellow-dog
• yellow-dog contract
• you can't teach an old dog new tricks

Rhymes for dog

• blog
• bog
• clog
• cog
• flog
• fog
• frog
• grog
• hog
• jog
• log
• og

Kids Definition

dog

1 of 2 noun

ˈdȯg 

1

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

doglike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

dog

2 of 2 verb

dogged; dogging

: to hunt, track, or follow like a hound

Medical Definition

dog

noun

ˈdȯg 

often 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