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dog
[dawg, dog]
noun
a domesticated canid, Canis familiaris, bred in many varieties.
any carnivore of the dog family Canidae, having prominent canine teeth and, in the wild state, a long and slender muzzle, a deep-chested muscular body, a bushy tail, and large, erect ears.
the male of such an animal.
any of various animals resembling a canid.
Informal.a fellow.
You've got a lovely family, you lucky dog.
Security was patting down the concertgoers, but that sly dog snuck a camera in.
Slang.an ugly, despicable, boring, or crude person.
I had high hopes for this date, but he turned out to be a dog.
Slang.
something worthless or of extremely poor quality.
That used car you bought is a dog.
an utter failure; flop.
Critics say his new play is a dog.
Slang.hot dog.
Astronomy.Dog, either of two constellations, Canis Major or Canis Minor.
Slang.dogs, feet.
I couldn't wait to get home and take off my shoes—my dogs were killing me.
Machinery.
any of various mechanical devices, as for gripping or holding something.
a projection on a moving part for moving steadily or for tripping another part with which it engages.
Also called gripper, nipper.Metalworking.a device on a drawbench for drawing the work through the die.
a clamp binding together two timbers.
an iron bar driven into a stone or timber to provide a means of lifting it.
a firedog; andiron.
a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter D.
verb (used with object)
to follow or track like a dog, especially with hostile intent; hound.
After the film, the actor was dogged by paparazzi.
to cause persistent problems or distress; haunt; plague.
She was dogged by a sense of guilt over her part in the scandal.
to drive or chase with a dog or dogs.
Machinery.to fasten with dogs.
They put the helmet on his head and dogged it to the gasket with the turnbuckles.
dog
/ ɒɡ /
noun
a domesticated canine mammal, Canis familiaris, occurring in many breeds that show a great variety in size and form
( as modifier )
dog biscuit
any other carnivore of the family Canidae, such as the dingo and coyote
( as modifier )
the dog family
the male of animals of the dog family
( as modifier )
a dog fox
(modifier)
spurious, inferior, or useless
dog Latin
( in combination )
dogberry
a mechanical device for gripping or holding, esp one of the axial slots by which gear wheels or shafts are engaged to transmit torque
informala fellow; chap
you lucky dog
informala man or boy regarded as unpleasant, contemptible, or wretched
informala male friend: used as a term of address
slangan unattractive or boring girl or woman
informalsomething unsatisfactory or inferior
short for firedog
any of various atmospheric phenomena See fogdog seadog sundog
no chance at all
informalsomething that is messy or bungled
a wretched existence
ruthless competition or self-interest
informaldressed smartly or ostentatiously
informalto behave or dress in an ostentatious or showy manner
verb
to pursue or follow after like a dog
to trouble; plague
to be dogged by ill health
to chase with a dog or dogs
to grip, hold, or secure by a mechanical device
adverb
(usually in combination) thoroughly; utterly
dog-tired
Other 51Թ Forms
- dogless adjective
- doglike adjective
- ˈDzˌ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of dog1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of dog1
Idioms and Phrases
throw (someone or something) to the wolves / dogs, wolf.
let sleeping dogs lie, to refrain from action that would alter an existing situation for fear of causing greater problems or complexities.
I'm thinking of trying to repair the defect in my computer, but the issue is minor so maybe I should let sleeping dogs lie.
put on the dog, to assume an attitude of wealth or importance; put on airs.
For banquet night we get to put on the dog and dress up and look spiffy.
go to the dogs, to deteriorate; degenerate morally or physically.
This neighborhood is going to the dogs.
call off the dogs, to pause or stop a relentless attack, pursuit, or campaign.
There was so much lobbying that the president had to ask the group to call off the dogs.
fight like cats and dogs. fight.
sick as a dog, very sick.
We went on vacation but I was sick as a dog the whole time and couldn't enjoy it.
lead a dog's life, to have an unhappy or harassed existence.
He complains that he led a dog's life in the army.
dog it,
to shirk one's responsibility; loaf on the job.
He was a ball hog who couldn't run properly and dogged it on defense.
to retreat, flee, renege, etc..
Her sponsor dogged it when she needed him most.
Example Sentences
Once, after I couldn’t get the city to help, he hauled off a small dune’s worth of sand at the end of my street that had become the local dogs’ pee pad.
The import or export of cat and dog fur, and products containing their fur, is banned.
Other controversial quotes include: "You're not a dog, you don't deserve a treat."
“And we would try to incorporate a lot of that behavior into Toothless with the hopes that when people watched the movie, they would say, ‘That’s just like my cat’ or ‘My dog does that.’
Now and again, while walking Philly near the Rose Bowl, I bump into a dog trainer named Eldon, who generously offers pointers.
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When To Use
How did man’s best friend fetch the name dog? This is actually one of English's toughest headscratchers.While dog is an extremely common word, its origin hounds us. Until around the 1500s, the go-to term for dog, was hund, which developed into hound. Fun fact: the Latin word for dog, canis, is the origin of the word canine and is, in fact, etymologically related to hound.But scholars can't quite put their paws on where the word dog came from. All we know is that it comes from the rare Old English word docga. But where did this word dog come from? Theories have been offered, but etymologists are left chasing their tails. As it happens, the Spanish word for dog, perro, is also of obscure origin.So, we guess we'll let this sleeping dog lie for now.Dog isn't alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other 51Թs That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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