dog-eared
Americanadjective
-
having dog-ears
-
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.
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
“Sinners” is culture vulture bait, laden with multiple meanings and dog-eared history pages, and who can resist a puzzle?
From Salon ● May 2, 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 were already lining up the chess pieces and reading from the dog-eared instruction book.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
