beagle
Americannoun
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beagles
plural
noun
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a small sturdy breed of hound, having a smooth dense coat usually of white, tan, and black; often used (esp formerly) for hunting hares
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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
And obviously, Folds knows that a show that stars a beagle and a small yellow bird that defies classification is not the right place to get bogged down in the issues of the day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2025
Another foster affects a Southern drawl, providing entertaining commentary from the perspective of a low-slung beagle mix named Loreta.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 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
The beagle dropped his ears and slunk off under a parked car.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
Most of the dogs are beagles, along with some Malinois and Shepherd mixes, brought on board through adoption or legal breeders.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
For years, Ridglan has bred beagles for biomedical research that activists denounce as cruel but federal law protects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
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
They spend their time sailing, playing tennis, and sometimes recalling the halcyon days of crossing the moors behind packs of beagles to hunt down rabbits.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
