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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.

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

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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2024

He opened the book where it’d been dog-eared.

From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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