beagle
Americannoun
-
beagles
plural
noun
-
a small sturdy breed of hound, having a smooth dense coat usually of white, tan, and black; often used (esp formerly) for hunting hares
-
archaic a person who spies on others
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beagle
1490–1500; perhaps < Middle French beegueule one who whines insistently, equivalent to bee, 3rd person singular of beer to be open, gape (by-form of bayer ( see bay 2) + gueule mouth (of an animal); see gullet
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:
For 51-year-old Barry Nicholson, walking is easiest with a companion - particularly his energetic beagle Max.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
I have a 3-year-old beagle, and every once in a while he scoots around on his butt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
I took my beagle Philly to Rosie’s Dog Beach in Long Beach and watched him race around like the happiest hound in the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2025
We're treated to frequent appearances by the Sussexes' sleepy beagle Guy, who died in January, but not before enjoying a lifetime of homemade dog biscuits Meghan prepares with leftover bacon.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2025
Dad buries the soup in the back yard next to our dead beagle, Ariel.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
The worst they’ve done is smell up the house after rolling around outside with a couple of dirty beagles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Visitors pass through a biosecurity gantlet at the airport, with specially trained beagles sniffing out such contraband as seeds, fruit, vegetables, meats, or honey.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025
Clifton's son travelled to the village and the beagles were being removed by a local charity when Hendy-Freegard arrived.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2025
The payment in yesterday’s agreement includes a $22 million criminal fine: Half of it is for the misdemeanor of conspiring to violate the AWA by neglecting the humane care and medical treatment of the beagles.
From Science Magazine ● Jun. 4, 2024
Any hound that got snappy with Bertha was promptly corrected, and the pack of yowling beagles provided a noisy but festive escort back to the POE.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
