puppy

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English

A puppy (young dog)

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

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈpʌpi/,
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ʌpi

Noun

puppy (plural puppies)

  1. A young dog, especially before sexual maturity (12–18 months)
  2. A young rat.
  3. A young seal.
  4. A dog with a youthful appearance, or any dog.
  5. (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.
  6. (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.
  7. (derogatory, dated) A conceited and impertinent person, especially a young man.
    • 1711 July 24 (Gregorian calendar), , “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 Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
      I found my place taken by an ill-bred, awkward puppy with a money bag under each arm.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), 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

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

puppy (third-person singular simple present puppies, present participle puppying, simple past and past participle puppied)

  1. (transitive) To bring forth whelps or give birth to pups.

Synonyms

Dutch

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English puppy.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpʏ.pi/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: pup‧py

Noun

puppy m or n (plural puppy's, diminutive puppy'tje n)

  1. puppy (young dog)
    Synonyms: pup, welp