# dog

Pronunciation: US say "DAWG" /dɔɡ/; UK say "DOG" /dɒɡ/

## Noun

1. A domesticated mammal, Canis familiaris, bred by humans over thousands of years into a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
   - Simple: A common four-legged animal kept as a pet or for work, related to wolves.
   - _The dog waited by the door every evening for its owner to come home._
   - _Working dogs herd sheep, guard property, and assist people with disabilities._
2. A frankfurter or similar sausage, or a sandwich made by serving one in a long bun.
   - Simple: A hot dog sausage, or one served in a long soft bun.
   - _She ordered a chili dog with extra onions at the stand._
   - _The vendor grilled a fresh batch of dogs for the lunch rush._
4. Any animal of the family Canidae, living or extinct, such as a domestic dog, wolf, coyote, jackal, or fox.
   - Simple: Any animal in the wider family that includes pet dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes.
   - _Coyotes, jackals, and other wild dogs often live close to towns._
   - _Despite its name, the maned wolf is not a true wolf but a long-legged South American dog._
5. A contemptible person regarded as cowardly, worthless, or morally bad.
   - Simple: A person seen as cowardly, worthless, or wicked.
   - _The villagers branded the informer a dog for selling them out._
   - _Only a dog would steal from the people who trusted him._
6. A man or fellow, used informally. *(slang)*
   - Simple: An informal word for a man or guy, often with a word like lucky or clever before it.
   - _That dog still owes me twenty bucks from last weekend._
   - _You clever dog, I should have known you'd figure it out._
7. Something, such as a product, investment, or film, that performs poorly or fails badly; a flop. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Something that does badly or fails, such as a film that few people pay to see.
   - _The investment turned into a dog within the first year._
   - _Reviewers warned that the laptop was a dog under heavy use._
8. The competitor or side considered least likely to win; the underdog of a contest or wager. *(slang)*
   - Simple: In a game or bet, the player or team not expected to win.
   - _The bookmakers listed the rookie as a heavy dog going into the fight._
   - _Sharp bettors took the dog and the points, and the home team's upset win paid them handsomely._
9. The flesh of dogs eaten as food.
   - Simple: The meat from dogs, eaten as food in some places.
   - _Certain cuisines once prized dog as a delicacy for special occasions._
   - _The market no longer sells dog after the new law took effect._
10. A male canine: a male dog, wolf, or fox, rather than a female.
   - Simple: A male animal of the dog family, not a female.
   - _Both the dog and the bitch come from working lines._
   - _During the breeding season the dog ranges farther than the vixen._
11. Any of various mechanical devices that grip, hold, or fasten something, such as a clamp, a pawl that stops a ratchet, or a spike securing a rail.
   - Simple: A metal part in a machine or tool that grips something or holds it in place.
   - _The carpenter set a dog into the bench to clamp the board._
   - _The hatch dogs sealed the compartment tightly against water._
12. A derogatory term for a girl or woman regarded as dull and unattractive. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A cruel word for a girl or woman seen as plain and boring.
   - _Behind her back the boys sneered that she was a dog._
   - _He called his date a dog, and everyone at the table winced at the cruelty._
15. A foot or toe, in slang use. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A person's foot or toe.
   - _After standing all shift, his dogs were sore and swollen._
   - _He kicked off his shoes to rest his blistered dogs._
18. A metal support that holds logs in a fireplace.
   - Simple: A metal stand that holds logs up off the floor of a fireplace.
   - _One leg of the old iron dog had snapped, so the logs kept rolling onto the hearth._
   - _A pair of iron dogs held the logs up off the hearth so the fire could breathe._
20. A man who behaves in a sexually aggressive, predatory way toward others. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A man who is very pushy and aggressive about wanting sex.
   - _Among his coworkers he had a reputation as a dog, forever propositioning the interns._
   - _She dismissed him as just another dog prowling the club._
21. A telephone or cell phone. *(dialectal, Cockney)*
   - Simple: A telephone, especially a cell phone.
   - _Get him on the dog and ask whether he's still coming._
   - _I was stuck on the dog with the bank for nearly an hour._

## Verb

3. To follow or pursue someone closely and persistently; (of a problem or rumor) to trouble someone continually.
   - Simple: To follow someone closely and not stop, or to keep causing someone trouble for a long time.
   - _Rumors dogged the actor throughout his entire career._
   - _Photographers continued to dog the family long after the trial ended._
13. To criticize or speak badly of someone. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To say mean or critical things about someone.
   - _Commentators dogged the quarterback for throwing three interceptions._
   - _They never miss a chance to dog the new manager._
14. To deliberately make less effort than you could, at work or in sport, usually in the phrase dog it. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To try less hard than you can on purpose, at work or in sport.
   - _If you dog it on the night shift, the foreman will notice by morning._
   - _He dogged it during the inventory count, stretching a two-hour job across the whole day._
17. To watch or take part in sexual activity carried out in a public place. *(slang, UK)*
   - Simple: To take part in or watch sex happening in a public outdoor place.
   - _Groups arrange online to go dogging at remote rest stops late at night._
   - _Locals complained that strangers were dogging in the parking area._
19. To secure a hatch firmly shut, typically by tightening the clamps that hold it against its frame.
   - Simple: To shut and lock a hatch tightly using its metal clamps.
   - _Crew members dog the hatches whenever heavy weather is forecast._
   - _He spun the wheel to dog the watertight door shut._

## Adjective

16. Of inferior quality; markedly bad or poorly made. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Very bad, cheap, or badly made.

## Noun

22. The cock, or hammer, of a firearm; the part that falls to fire the charge. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: The part of an old gun that snaps forward to fire it, also called the hammer.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A dance briefly popular in the 1960s whose steps imitated the movements of a dog.
- (noun) One of the cones used to mark out sections of a racetrack during horse training.
- (verb) To share a period of watch duty by dividing it with a comrade.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–15, 17–22** — Inherited from Middle English 'dogge', from Old English 'dogga' or 'docga', of uncertain origin. It seems to have first meant a common or stocky dog rather than a well-bred one; there are several theories about its ultimate root, but none is certain. In the 14th century 'hound' was the general word for dogs and 'dog' named a mastiff-like type, but by the 16th century 'dog' had become the general term.
**Meaning 16** — A clipping of 'dogshit'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dog (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).