Synonyms

dogsbody

American

[dawgz-bod-ee, dogz-] / ˈdɔgzˌbɒd i, ˈdɒgz- /

noun

Chiefly British Slang.

a menial worker; drudge.

dogsbody British

/ ˈdɒɡzˌbɒdɪ /

noun

informal a person who carries out menial tasks for others; drudge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

(intr) to act as a dogsbody

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

dogsbodies

plural

Etymology

Origin of dogsbody

First recorded in 1810–20; originally a junior naval officer, earlier a sailor's term for soaked sea biscuits or pease pudding

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023