pup

noun

\ ˈpəp

How to pronounce pup (audio)

\

Definition of pup

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a young dog also : one of the young of various animals (such as a seal or rat)

2 : offset sense 2a

pup

verb

pupped; pupping

Definition of pup (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to give birth to pups

Examples of pup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Hours for this summertime series are 5 to 9 p.m. This first event is a dog-friendly one, so the organizers are dubbing the venue Barkesto Park and inviting pet owners to bring their pooches for pup snacks. — Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "Northside Night Market makes debut at San Jose’s Backesto Park," 14 June 2019 The glittery ladies, who were vying to become the first-ever Miss Dog Mom USA, would then end the dance number — pups by their side — in a tableau vivant. — Rachel Syme, New York Times, "The Real Dog Moms of New York City," 14 June 2019 Bearded seals give birth and rear pups on drifting pack ice. — Washington Post, "At least 60 ice seals found dead along west Alaska coast," 13 June 2019 Bearded seals give birth and rear pups on drifting pack ice. — Dan Joling, Anchorage Daily News, "Environmental group sues Trump administration over ice seal status," 13 June 2019 Now Bam Bam, a blue pit bull who has his own Instagram feed, is one of Bernthal’s three rescue pups who make frequent appearances on Bernthal’s own Instagram feed. — Melissa Locker, Time, "A Relaxed Dog Named Bam Bam Is the New Talking Point of the Big Video Game Expo," 11 June 2019 This behemoth can fit two comfortably, with possibly some room left over for a small child or pup. — James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, "The 10 Best Super-Portable Camp Chairs," 11 June 2019 Patton Oswalt now lends his voice to Max (replacing Louis C.K.), Katie’s sweet pup. — Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Dogs and cats stick to the formula in ‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’," 6 June 2019 In her final years, Harriet was cared for by her daughter Leslie Kei-Rahn and grandson Jordan and watched over by beloved pup Hercules. — courant.com, "Harriet Joyce Kei," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

One woman fell from a California bridge and survived last year and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has previously warned those behind or in front of the lens to refrain from taking selfies with seals during their pupping season. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Instagram Influencer Reveals She Was Bitten by Nurse Shark While Trying to Get a Photo," 11 July 2018 Coyotes have been known to advance on, growl at or surround dog walkers and their pets, a pattern of aggression that is natural for the wild canines during pupping season, which begins in the spring and continues through the summer. — Peter Fimrite, San Francisco Chronicle, "Coyote alert: SF is home to seven new pups in the Presidio," 4 June 2018 The City Council decided in 2014 to limit access to the beach during pupping season in response to concerns that people were harassing the seals. — Joshua Emerson Smith, latimes.com, "La Jolla Children's Pool closes for pupping season as legal war continues," 15 Dec. 2017 Kourtney and her daughter Penelope Disick have already named their sister pup Honey, but Kim is taking her decision beyond the family. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "North West's New Puppy (Finally) Has the Yummiest Name!," 27 June 2017 The controversial beach in La Jolla known as Children’s Pool has reopened this week after being closed since December for harbor seal pupping season. — Joshua Emerson Smith, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Children’s Pool beach reopens as legal battle over seals continues," 16 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pup

Dictionary Entries near pup

Statistics for pup

Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pup

The first known use of pup was in 1542

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for pup

pup

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pup

: a young dog also : one of the young of various animals other than dogs

See the full definition for pup in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pup

noun

\ ˈpəp

\

Kids Definition of pup

1 : puppy

2 : a young animal seal pups

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

gritty

showing courage and determination

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ