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Synonyms

dog-eared

American  
[dawg-eerd, dog-] / ˈdɔgˌɪərd, ˈdɒg- /
Or dogeared

adjective

  1. having dog-ears.

    a dog-eared book.

  2. shabby; worn.

    dog-eared furniture.


dog-eared British  

adjective

  1. having dog-ears

  2. shabby or worn

"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-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.

See Examples For:

If journalism is the first draft of history, documentary filmmaking is often an overdue, dog-eared galley proof with no cover art.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 25, 2025

"This one changed my life," he says, pulling out a dog-eared copy of Pete Rock's They Reminisce Over You.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2025

All these years later, the books on my nightstand are highlighted, annotated and dog-eared.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 15, 2024

He read and dog-eared a copy of Dr. Raymond DePaulo’s “Understanding Depression.”

From New York Times Mar. 31, 2023

Otto showed Sheed the yearbook pages he’d dog-eared.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

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