dog

noun

• 1a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, non-retractile claws, and a barking, howling, or whining voice.

  • Canis familiaris, family Canidae (the dog family); probably domesticated from the wolf in the Mesolithic period. The dog family also includes the wolves, coyotes, jackals, and foxes
• a wild animal of the dog family.
• the male of an animal of the dog family, or of some other mammals such as the otter: [as modifier]:a dog fox
• (the dogs) British informal greyhound racing:a night at the dogs

• 2 informal an unpleasant, contemptible, or wicked man: he was interrupted by cries of ‘dirty dog!’ come out, Michael, you dog!
• [with adjective] dated used to refer to a person of a specified kind in a tone of playful reproof, commiseration, or congratulation:your historian is a dull dog you lucky dog!
• used to refer to someone who is abject or miserable, especially because they have been treated harshly:I make him work like a dog Rab was treated like a dog
• informal, offensive an unattractive woman.
• Australian/NZ informal an informer or traitor:one day she’s going to turn dog on you
• informal, chiefly North American a thing of poor quality:a dog of a film
• informal a horse that is slow or difficult to handle.

• 3used in names of dogfishes, e.g. sandy dog, spur-dog.

• 4a mechanical device for gripping.

• 5 (dogs) North American informal feet.

• 6 (dogs) Horse Racing, US barriers used to keep horses off a particular part of the track.

verb (dogs, dogging, dogged)

• 1follow (someone) closely and persistently:photographers seemed to dog her every step
• (of a problem) cause continual trouble for:the twenty-nine-year-old has constantly been dogged by controversy

• 2 (dog it) informal, chiefly North American act lazily; fail to try one’s hardest: Eric had a reputation for dogging it a little

• 3grip (something) with a mechanical device: [with object and complement]:she has dogged the door shut