puppy

American  

[puhp-ee] / ˈpʌp i /

noun

puppies plural

1. a young dog, especially one less than a year old.

2. Fox Hunting. a foxhound that has hunted regularly for less than one season.

3. pup.

4. a presuming, conceited, or empty-headed young man.

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puppy British  

/ ˈpʌpɪ /

noun

1. a young dog; pup

2. informal a brash or conceited young man; pup

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• puppydom
  noun
• puppyhood
  noun
• puppylike
  adjective
• puppyish
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• puppies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of puppy

First recorded in 1480–90; earlier popi; see origin at puppet, -y ²

Explanation

A puppy is a baby dog. Unless you're more of a cat person, there's nothing cuter than puppies playing together. When a dog is born, it's a puppy. Puppies, like most mammals, start out very small and quickly grow larger — in fact, some puppies' coats change color as they mature, resulting in a fully grown dog that looks completely different. In the fifteenth century, a puppy was specifically "a woman's small pet dog," from the Middle French poupée, "doll or toy."

Example Sentences

So-called “barkitecture” includes marble puppy spas, cat hideaways and dens built specifically for Fido.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

And then right before we even knew there was a pandemic, for some strange reason, I got this little puppy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

When Percy was a puppy, he ate mulch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The puppy is currently receiving medical attention and support from Animal Services, but is doing well.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Other people came in with their sick animals—a dog that had swallowed a corncob, a lethargic cat, a puppy that refused to eat.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

Related Words

• dog
• pup
• whelp