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Synonyms

dog tag

American  

noun

  1. a small disk or strip attached to a dog's harness or collar stating owner, home, etc.

  2. identification tag.

  3. Informal.

    1. any tag for a suitcase, camera, or other personal possession with the owner's name or address.

    2. a tag or card with a person's name or affiliation, worn at conventions, large meetings, etc.

dog tag British  

noun

  1. slang a military personal-identification disc

"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 dog tag

First recorded in 1915–20

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 did not wear the dog tag there.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2024

In the intensive care unit, we meet Oleksii, his military dog tag still around his neck.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2023

Levine, whose first name was misspelled on the dog tag with an extra ‘s,’ died in 1973.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023

Written by Gaga and BloodPop, the song’s music video featured the pop star in classic “Top Gun” apparel: a white tank top, a dog tag necklace and aviator sunglasses.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2023

Later that day, we gave Charlie’s dog tag to the CO, who then packed his belongings, wrote a letter to his family, and sent it all home.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

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.