dog-eared
Americanadjective
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having dog-ears
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shabby or worn
Etymology
Origin of dog-eared
First recorded in 1775–85
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.
Schoenbrun has an obvious familiarity with the horror canon, and I would guess owns a dog-eared copy of “Men, Women, and Chainsaws,” Carol J. Clover’s classic book on the genre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
A dog-eared punk zine flutters near a vellum-bound folio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
There are two recipes I return to every summer, like the way some people revisit a favorite trail or reread a dog-eared paperback.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
For you, maybe that translates into a bargain bin or a giveaway pile; wherever you can find books that are weathered, dog-eared and inscribed to someone else.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2024
They opened the door to find her father, Mr. Smiley, sitting in his armchair flipping through a dog-eared dictionary.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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.
