puppy

noun

pup·​py ˈpə-pē 

plural puppies

1

: a young domestic dog

specifically : one less than a year old

2

: baby sense 4

a computer that is one fast puppy

puppyhood

ˈpə-pē-ˌhu̇d 

noun

puppyish

ˈpə-pē-ish 

adjective

puppylike

ˈpə-pē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of puppy in a Sentence

Our dog just had four puppies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fire officials said the dog was expected to give birth to puppies when the emergency happened during the flight. — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Just over 60 days later, that mama dog gave birth to a puppy wolf. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026

Nix is waaaaay too good of an athlete to sit in the pocket with less patience than a puppy. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026

On domestic flights, puppies and kittens must be at least two months old. — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popi, from Middle French poupée doll, toy, from *poupe

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing puppy

• foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
• hush puppy
• mud puppy
• one sick puppy
• one tired puppy
• puppy dog
• puppy dog eyes
• puppy eyes
• puppy fat
• puppy love
• puppy mill

Rhymes for puppy

• guppy
• yuppie

Kids Definition

puppy

noun

pup·​py ˈpəp-ē 

plural puppies

: a young domestic dog

especially : one less than a year old