puppy
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A puppy (young dog)
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From earlier puppie (“a woman's pet dog”), of uncertain origin, but probably from Middle English *puppee, *poupee, from Old French poupée, popée (“a doll; puppet”). More at puppet.
Mostly displaced native Middle English whelp (“puppy”), from Old English hwelp, whence Modern English whelp and whelpie.
Pronunciation
Noun
puppy (plural puppies)
- A young dog, especially before sexual maturity (12–18 months)
- A young rat.
- A young seal.
- (slang, usually in the plural) A woman’s breast.
- 2007, Rodney Carrington, Show Them To Me (from the album King of the Mountains)
- Unclasp your bra and set those puppies free.
- 2007, Rodney Carrington, Show Them To Me (from the album King of the Mountains)
- (informal) A (generic) thing; particularly something that is a nuisance; a sucker.
- I have another two dozen of these puppies to finish before I can go home.
- (derogatory, dated) A conceited and impertinent person, especially a young man.
- 1711 July 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, July 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 106; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, , volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
- I found my place taken by an ill-bred, awkward puppy with a money bag under each arm.
- 1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: J Wright for Lawton Gilliver , →OCLC, page 12, lines 218–221:
- I ne'r vvith VVits and VVitlings paſt my days, / To ſpread about the Itch of Verſe and Praiſe, / Nor like a Puppy daggled thro' the Tovvn, / To fetch and carry Sing-ſong up and dovvn; […]
Synonyms
- (young dog): dogling, pup, whelp, whelpie
- (young seal): pup
- (woman’s breast): See also Thesaurus:breast
Derived terms
- common mudpuppy
- common mud puppy
- dog puppy
- forest puppy
- Hush Puppies
- hushpuppy
- hush puppy
- mudpuppy
- mud puppy
- orange puppy
- puppy dog
- puppy dog eyes
- puppy-dog eyes
- puppy-eyed
- puppy fat
- puppy foot
- puppy guarding
- puppyhood
- puppy love
- puppy-lovey
- puppy mill
- puppy milling
- puppy pregnancy syndrome
- puppy school
- puppy water
- purse puppy
- sand puppy
- sick puppy
- stress puppy
- stud puppy
- sweater puppies
- teacup puppy
- wolf puppy
Translations
young dog
|
young rat
young seal
|
Verb
puppy (third-person singular simple present puppies, present participle puppying, simple past and past participle puppied)
- (transitive) To bring forth whelps or give birth to pups.