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Synonyms

pup

American  
[puhp] / pʌp /

noun

  1. a young dog; puppy.

  2. the young of certain other animals, as the rat, shark, or fur seal.

  3. a small plant developing as an offshoot from a mature plant.

verb (used without object)

pupped, pupping

  1. to give birth to pups.

pup British  
/ pʌp /

noun

    1. a young dog, esp when under one year of age; puppy

    2. the young of various other animals, such as the seal

  2. (of a bitch) pregnant

  3. informal a conceited young man (esp in the phrase young pup )

  4. to swindle someone by selling him something worthless

  5. slang it's early yet

"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

  1. (of dogs, seals, etc) to give birth to (young)

"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

Etymology

Origin of pup

First recorded in 1580–90; shortened variant of puppy

Explanation

Even though you probably think of a young, cuddly dog when you hear the word pup, a pup is the correct name for the young of many different mammals (even the not-so-cuddly porcupine!). When your dog has babies, they're pups, and the same is true of baby wolves. What's more surprising is that so are the baby anteaters in the zoo, as well as the offspring of sea lions, gerbils, and mongooses, among others. Sometimes this noun is also used to mean a young person who's particularly naive or arrogant. Pup comes from puppy, from the Middle French poupée, "doll."

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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.

He has been credited as the author of two books, Pawtobiography and Pup Fiction, and is to make his final appearance in the show during its upcoming ninth series.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

We had a dog named Bumble who is sight and hearing impaired win the MVP, the Most Valuable Pup, and rightfully so, because he deserved it.

From Salon • Feb. 9, 2025

The 16 dogs representing the teams that are playing in the hockey playoffs will compete for the Stanley Pup.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 2, 2024

“Talk to Oprah,” Remy says to Pup, who’s nervous that his date for homecoming is going to expect him to dance.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

The Pup, his lonely heart hungering for comradeship, had met this civil advance with effusion; and thenceforward the two were fast friends.

From Kings in Exile by Roberts, Charles George Douglas, Sir

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.