dog

noun countable

UK /dɒɡ/

Word Forms

singular	dog
plural	dogs

1
an animal kept as a pet, for guarding buildings, or for hunting. A young dog is called a puppy
Have you fed the dog?
Out on the street, a dog began to bark.
dog food/biscuits
Synonyms and related words
Words meaning dog
dog
hound
pooch
1. 1a
  a male dog or a male animal that belongs to the same group of animals as dogs, such as a male wolf or fox
  a dog fox
  Synonyms and related words
  Male animals
  alpha male
  billy goat
  boar
2
offensivesomeone who is not attractive, especially a woman
Synonyms and related words
Ugly people
nerd
hag
dag
3
Australianinformalsomeone who gives information about people to the police or to another authority
Synonyms and related words
People who tell secrets
informant
informer
mole
Synonyms and related words
Giving information to the police or other authorities
blow the whistle
blow the whistle (on someone/something)
confession
4
mainly Americaninformalsomething that is of bad quality or very unsuccessful
I invested in an Internet start-up but it turned out to be a real dog.
Synonyms and related words
Something that is of very bad quality
rubbish
reject
trash
5
like a dog with two tails
very happy
I’ll be like a dog with two tails if I can pass all my exams.
Submitted by:
Emran Khoshrouye Ghiasi from Iran, Islamic Republic of on 18/12/2018
Open Dictionary - December2018
6
a phone: from the Cockney rhyming slang ‘dog and bone’
Malcolm has been on the dog for three hours.
Submitted by:
Ismail from Russian Federation on 18/07/2017
Open Dictionary - July2017
7
if you sleep/lie down with dogs, you get fleas
used for saying that if you associate with bad people you risk being corrupted
Those who sleep with dogs get fleas.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 23/11/2018
Open Dictionary - November2018
8
in a dog’s age
for a long time, the same as “for donkey’s years”
I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age
Submitted by:
Oriel Villagarcia from Argentina on 06/03/2016
Open Dictionary - March2016
9
the dogs in the street know
everyone knows
The dogs in the street know that this was an attempt to bypass parlliament.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 11/09/2019
Open Dictionary - September2019
10
everyone and their dog
absolutely everyone
Everyone and their dog knows that this is just a lie.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 11/09/2019
Open Dictionary - September2019
11
let the dog see the rabbit
mainly spoken
to let someone get on with work they are ready and waiting to do
“Let the dog see the rabbit!” he said, rolling his sleeves up and pushing his way past Dave and Mark.
Submitted by:
The Hecht from Germany on 08/08/2019
Open Dictionary - August2019

phrases

dog eat dog

a dog in the manger

the dogs

a dog’s breakfast/dinner

dressed up like a dog’s dinner

every dog has its/his day

give a dog a bad name

going to the dogs

have a/no dog in a fight

like a dog with a bone

dog

noun countable

US /dɔɡ/

Word Forms

singular	dog
plural	dogs

1
an animal kept as a pet, for guarding buildings, or for hunting. A young dog is called a puppy
Have you fed the dog?
Out on the street, a dog began to bark.
dog food/biscuits
Synonyms and related words
Words meaning dog
dog
hound
pooch
1. 1a
  a male dog or a male animal that belongs to the same group of animals as dogs, such as a male wolf or fox
  a dog fox
  Synonyms and related words
  Male animals
  alpha male
  billy goat
  boar
2
used for describing a person of a particular type
He’s a lucky dog.
Synonyms and related words
General words for type of person
outlier
individual
character
1. 2a
  offensivesomeone who is not attractive, especially a woman
  Synonyms and related words
  Ugly people
  nerd
  hag
  dag
2. 2b
  offensivean unpleasant man
  Synonyms and related words
  People who are annoying or unpleasant
  douche
  public nuisance
  creep
3
informalsomething that is of bad quality or very unsuccessful
I invested in an Internet start-up but it turned out to be a real dog.
Synonyms and related words
Something that is of very bad quality
rubbish
reject
trash
4
a hot dog
Synonyms and related words
Joints and cuts of meat
a rack of lamb/ribs
beefsteak
braising steak
5
Australianinformalsomeone who gives information about people to the police or to another authority
Synonyms and related words
People who tell secrets
informant
informer
mole
Synonyms and related words
Giving information to the police or other authorities
blow the whistle
blow the whistle (on someone/something)
confession
6
like a dog with two tails
very happy
I’ll be like a dog with two tails if I can pass all my exams.
Submitted by:
Emran Khoshrouye Ghiasi from Iran, Islamic Republic of on 18/12/2018
Open Dictionary - December2018
7
a phone: from the Cockney rhyming slang ‘dog and bone’
Malcolm has been on the dog for three hours.
Submitted by:
Ismail from Russian Federation on 18/07/2017
Open Dictionary - July2017
8
if you sleep/lie down with dogs, you get fleas
used for saying that if you associate with bad people you risk being corrupted
Those who sleep with dogs get fleas.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 23/11/2018
Open Dictionary - November2018
9
in a dog’s age
for a long time, the same as “for donkey’s years”
I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age
Submitted by:
Oriel Villagarcia from Argentina on 06/03/2016
Open Dictionary - March2016
10
the dogs in the street know
everyone knows
The dogs in the street know that this was an attempt to bypass parlliament.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 11/09/2019
Open Dictionary - September2019
11
everyone and their dog
absolutely everyone
Everyone and their dog knows that this is just a lie.
Submitted from:
United Kingdom on 11/09/2019
Open Dictionary - September2019
12
let the dog see the rabbit
mainly spoken
to let someone get on with work they are ready and waiting to do
“Let the dog see the rabbit!” he said, rolling his sleeves up and pushing his way past Dave and Mark.
Submitted by:
The Hecht from Germany on 08/08/2019
Open Dictionary - August2019

phrases

dog eat dog

every dog has its/his day

give a dog a bad name

going to the dogs

it’s a dog’s life

have a/no dog in a fight

like a dog with a bone

put on the dog

dog

verb transitive

UK /dɒɡ/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	dog
he/she/it	dogs
present participle	dogging
past tense	dogged
past participle	dogged

1
often passiveto cause trouble for someone over a long period of time
He has been dogged by persistent back problems.
Synonyms and related words
To cause problems for someone or something
let down
hold back
embarrass
2
to follow someone closely in a way that annoys them
Photographers dogged the princess all her adult life.
Synonyms and related words
To follow someone
follow
shadow
track

dog

verb transitive

US /dɔɡ/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	dog
he/she/it	dogs
present participle	dogging
past tense	dogged
past participle	dogged

1
often passiveto cause trouble for someone over a long period of time
He has been dogged by persistent back problems.
These rumors had dogged the president for years.
Synonyms and related words
To cause problems for someone or something
let down
hold back
embarrass
2
to follow someone closely in a way that annoys them
Photographers dogged the princess all her adult life.
Synonyms and related words
To follow someone
follow
shadow
track
3

dog
or
dog on
Americanvery informalto criticize someone in a continuous and annoying way
Synonyms and related words
To criticize, accuse or blame
criticize
blame
put down

dog ​‌‌‌

like a dog with two tails

if you sleep/lie down with dogs, you get fleas

in a dog’s age

the dogs in the street know

everyone and their dog

let the dog see the rabbit

dog ​‌‌‌

like a dog with two tails

if you sleep/lie down with dogs, you get fleas

in a dog’s age

the dogs in the street know

everyone and their dog

let the dog see the rabbit

dog

dog

dog

dog on

dog

dog