dog
• noun 1 a domesticated carnivorous mammal with a barking or howling voice and an acute sense of smell. 2 a wild animal resembling this, in particular any member of the dog family (Canidae), which includes the wolf, fox, coyote, jackal, and other species. 3 the male of such an animal. 4 (the dogs) Brit. informal greyhound racing. 5 informal, derogatory an unattractive woman. 6 informal a contemptible man. 7 dated a person of a specified kind: you lucky dog! • verb (dogged, dogging) 1 follow closely and persistently. 2 (of a problem) cause continual trouble for. — PHRASES a dog in the manger a person who prevents others from having things that they do not need themselves. alluding to the fable of the dog that lay in a manger to prevent the ox and horse from eating the hay. a dog’s dinner (or breakfast) Brit. informal a mess. every dog has his (or its) day proverb everyone will have good luck or success at some point in their lives. go to the dogs informal deteriorate badly. you can’t teach an old dog new tricks proverb you cannot make people change their ways. why keep a dog and bark yourself? proverb why pay someone to work for you and then do the work yourself? — DERIVATIVES dogdom noun doggish adjective. — ORIGIN Old English.
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