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

After losing Noodle, Graziano spent some time fostering dogs before adopting his current pug, Milton. — Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Tilly, a 2-year-old pug, was brought into Arizona Humane Society’s trauma hospital in Phoenix, fighting for her life in late May. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 19 July 2026

She’s also obsessed with her dog—a pug named Daphne—and always shopping for new outfits, toys, and accessories for her fur baby. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 July 2026

That patient was Tilly, a 2-year-old pug who arrived at the organization’s Lazin Animal Foundation Trauma Hospital in late May in critical condition. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 15 July 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