pug

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈpəg 

1

: any of a breed of small sturdy compact dogs of Asian origin with a smooth, short coat, tightly curled tail, short muzzle, and broad wrinkled face

2

a

: pug nose

b

: a close knot or coil of hair : bun

Illustration of pug

• pug 1

pug

2 of 4

verb

pugged; pugging

transitive verb

: to work and mix (a substance, such as clay) when wet especially to make more homogeneous and easier to handle (as in throwing or molding wares)

pug

3 of 4

noun (2)

: boxer entry 1 sense 1

pug

4 of 4

noun (3)

: pugmark

Synonyms of pug

Noun (2)

• boxer
• fighter

Examples of pug in a Sentence

Noun (2)

a retired pug with battered ears and swollen knuckles

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Great Danes, for example, generally don’t live as long as golden retrievers or pugs. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026

The pattern bucks what scientists see elsewhere in the animal kingdom and helps explain why Great Danes rarely outlive golden retrievers or pugs. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026

Bean Found as an emaciated stray eating trash at a gas station in Nogales, Mexico, Bean is now a healthy rescue pug who has never met a stranger and adores spending time with cats, kittens, babies, and toddlers. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026

Rahtz is on the left, and Farmer is on the right with their pug, Doyle. — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

obsolete pug hobgoblin, monkey

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (2)

by shortening & alteration from pugilist

Noun (3)

Hindi & Urdu pag foot, step

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1843, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1858, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pug

• pug mill
• pug nose

Rhymes for pug

• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• rug
• rugg
• shrug

Kids Definition

pug

noun

ˈpəg

: any of a breed of small sturdy compact dogs having a short coat, tightly curled tail, and broad wrinkled face