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

During her appointments, the veterinarians discovered that, based on her records, Daisy was a 2-year-old goldendoodle, which explained her playful puppy energy. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025

This adorable little guy is full of love, personality and lots of puppy charm. —Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 22 Nov. 2025

The video shows the black puppy, named Gordon Ramsay, with his arms wrapped around the 7-month-old kitten, as though offering an immediate hug. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

But when One Tail at a Time, a local rescue, teamed up with an observation deck to host a puppy yoga session, fate padded over on four tiny paws. —Ronnie Li, USA Today, 18 Nov. 2025

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 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