pup

1 of 2

noun

ˈpəp 

1

: a young dog

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

2

: offset sense 2a

pup

2 of 2

verb

pupped; pupping

intransitive verb

: to give birth to pups

Examples of pup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Eligible puppies and kittens must be less than 12 months old, or 24 months for larger breed pups. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 6 July 2026

Thanks to Foxy’s strength and Alaqua’s rescue efforts, Foxy and all her pups are healthy and thriving. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

Verb

The southern elephant seal pup mortality was estimated to be 76% across a population of 17,000 seal pups born on the islands, the program said. — Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

But competition in summer decreases pup survival to one or two. — Ted Williams, Denver Post, 12 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for puppy

First Known Use

Noun

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pup

• buy a pup
• pup tent
• sell a pup

Rhymes for pup

• cup
• sup
• up
• yup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup

Kids Definition

pup

noun

ˈpəp

: puppy

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