poodle
Americannoun
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poodles
plural
noun
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a breed of dog, with varieties of different sizes, having curly hair, which is often clipped from ribs to tail for showing: originally bred to hunt waterfowl
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a person who is servile; lackey
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of poodle
First recorded in 1770–75; from German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, equivalent to pudel(n) “to splash” + Hund “dog”; see puddle, hound 1
Compare meaning
How does poodle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A poodle is an intelligent dog with a densely coiled coat. Although they're commonly referred to as French poodles, the breed actually originated in Germany. Poodle comes from the German Pudelhund, "water dog," and its root pudel, "puddle." And while the poodle is the national dog of France, it's known as a caniche in French, or “duck dog.” Poodles are smart, active dogs that were bred to retrieve from water. Some poodles have exaggerated haircuts, with round tufts of hair on their heads, ankles, and tails. Many people with dog allergies find they can tolerate poodles, adding to the breed's popularity.
Vocabulary lists containing poodle
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Such restraint today seems as quaint as poodle skirts and “I Love Lucy.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Tegan Williams, 20, took her two-year-old toy poodle and bichon frisé cross Honey to Scruffy 2 Fluffy groomers in Bargoed, Caerphilly county, on 15 June - her fourth appointment at the business.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
I have two dogs: a 120-pound Great Pyrenees-Border Collie-German Shepherd mix, and then at the other end of the spectrum, a seven-pound poodle mix.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
As a Californian, I’ve always connected with his storytelling, and this story of a cross-country road trip with his poodle brings the vast variety of American life into perspective.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
In a fit of daring, she had had her hair cut short and curled all over in the latest style — the poodle, this was called.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Pink poodles with long black eyelashes danced in a can-can line, a quartet of googly-eyed cacti bobbed along to the music and a trio of small white dogs galloped on the stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
He said having a negative perception of XL bullies was "mad to me" and insisted poodles were "more aggressive".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
Chihuahuas, rat terriers and miniature poodles are muscling in on strength contests long dominated by big dogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
A standard French poodle born near Paris, he belonged to an elegant, luxurious breed, though in previous centuries, poodles were used to retrieve game from water.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2024
Occasionally, Granny and I had to jump off the pavement to make way for madams and their poodles and English toy spaniels.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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