Illustration of dog
- 1 pastern
- 2 chest
- 3 flews
- 4 muzzle
- 5 stop
- 6 occiput
- 7 leather
- 8 crest
- 9 withers
- 10 loin
- 11 point of rump
- 12 hock or tarsus
- 13 knee or stifle
- 14 brisket
- 15 elbow
- 16 feathering
plural dogs
1
a
: a carnivorous mammal (Canis familiaris) closely related to the gray wolf that has long been domesticated as a pet, occurs in a variety of sizes, colors, and coat types, and is sometimes trained to perform special tasks (such as herding, guarding, or acting as a service animal)
After 31 years of Labrador retrievers holding the title, the American Kennel Club says French bulldogs were the most popular dog in America last year.—
Scott Simon
Scott Simon
b
: any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous mammals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog : canid
c
: a male dog
compare bitch entry 1 sense 1
2
3
4
: uncharacteristic or affected stylishness or dignity
see also put on the dog
5
6
7
8
informal : an inferior one of its kind
The movie was a dog.
The stock is a dog. Earnings have been poor …—Douglas A. McIntyre
Douglas A. McIntyre
Logic should dictate that a hefty sedan powered by a small four-cylinder motor should be a real dog of a thing to drive.—Keith Didham
Keith Didham
9
slang, often disparaging + offensive : an unattractive person
especially : an unattractive girl or woman
10
informal : hot dog sense 1
bought two dogs and a beer
dogged ˈdȯgd 
ˈdägd
; dogging; dogs
1
a
: to hunt, track, or follow (someone) like a hound
dogged her every move
b
: to be a persistent source of difficulty or distress to (someone) : plague
—often used in the passive with by
Rumors dogged him throughout his public life.—Howard Chua-Eoan
Howard Chua-Eoan
Their star pitcher has been dogged by injuries.
The project has been dogged by controversy.
c
: to bother or pester (someone) persistently : hound
Reporters dogged her for information.
2
: to fasten (something) with a dog (see dog entry 1 sense 3)
dogged down the hatch
see also:
Synonyms of dog
Examples of dog in a Sentence
Noun That dog barks all day long. children playing with the family dog wild dogs such as the Australian dingo Her latest book turned out to be a real dog. That was a dog of a movie. Verb He dogged her every move. Creditors dogged him until he finally paid his bills.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026 Medical testing on dogs is legal in the United States, but it is heavily regulated under federal law. —Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026 In multi-dog households, each dog should have its own bed to prevent conflict. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026 Over the years, the facility has been dogged by complaints of unsafe conditions. —Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dog
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Six months later, on Sunday, April 12, his remains were found by a person walking a dog on Caja del Rio Road in Santa Fe County, New Mexico State Police said in a statement. —Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026 Medical testing on dogs is legal in the United States, but it is heavily regulated under federal law. —Brady Halbleib, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Meanwhile, critics in the anti-dog camp, some of whom seemed to object to the very concept of urban dogs, argued the poop proposals did not go nearly far enough. —Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026 In multi-dog households, each dog should have its own bed to prevent conflict. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
Notably, UnitedHealth appears to have a better handle on higher medical costs – an issue that has dogged the broader insurance industry for more than two years. —Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026 Over the years, the facility has been dogged by complaints of unsafe conditions. —Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dog
Cite this Entry
“Dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/dog. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dog
1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a domestic mammal that eats meat and is closely related to the gray wolf
b
: any animal of the family to which the dog belongs
c
: a male dog
2
a
: a worthless person
b
: person sense 1
you lucky dog
3
a
: any of various devices for holding, gripping, or fastening that consist of a spike, rod, or bar
b
: andiron
4
: a show of being stylish or rich
put on the dog
5
plural : feet
dog
2 of 2 verb
dogged; dogging
: to hunt, track, or follow like a hound
Medical Definition
dog
noun
often attributive
: a highly variable carnivorous domesticated mammal of the genus Canis (C. familiaris) closely related to the common wolf (Canis lupus)
broadly : any member of the family Canidae
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