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
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
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel star in this rom-com, which centers on Anna (Deschanel) and Russ (Cox), who are navigating their breakup while coparenting their dog, Merv (played by a scene-stealing Gus).
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
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
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Dec. 2025
The 6-1, 224 pound weakside linebacker has elite instincts and is dogged in his approach against the run.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2025
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
TikTokers were quick to share their own emotional stories about compassionate dogs.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025
Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel star in this rom-com, which centers on Anna (Deschanel) and Russ (Cox), who are navigating their breakup while coparenting their dog, Merv (played by a scene-stealing Gus).
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 30 Nov. 2025
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
The assessment landed on top of several unrelated controversies already dogging Patel, including scrutiny about his use of government aircraft for personal travel and, separately, his decision to assign an FBI SWAT team to protect his girlfriend.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Dec. 2025
The 6-1, 224 pound weakside linebacker has elite instincts and is dogged in his approach against the run.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dog
Cite this Entry
“Dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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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