definitions

mongrel

[ muhng-gruhl, mong- ]
/ ˈmʌŋ grəl, ˈmɒŋ- /
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noun

a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed.
any animal or plant resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties.
any cross between different things, especially if inharmonious or indiscriminate.

adjective

of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.

RELATED WORDS

bastard, mixture, cur, hybrid, cross, mutt, half-breed, crossbreed, mule, half-blood

Nearby words

mongolian spot, mongolic, mongolism, mongoloid, mongoose, mongrel, mongrelize, mongst, mongu, monial, monic

Origin of mongrel

1425–75; late Middle English (once): heraldic term for a type of dog; equivalent to mong(e) mixture (Old English gemang; cf. mingle) + -rel

Related forms

mon·grel·ism, mon·grel·ness, nounmon·grel·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mongrel

British Dictionary definitions for mongrel

mongrel

/ (ˈmʌŋɡrəl) /

noun

a plant or animal, esp a dog, of mixed or unknown breeding; a crossbreed or hybrid
taboo a person of mixed race
Australian and NZ sport toughness and physical aggressiona tall southpaw with plenty of mongrel

adjective

of mixed origin, breeding, character, etc

Derived Forms

mongrelism, nounmongrelly, adjective

Word Origin for mongrel

C15: from obsolete mong mixture; compare Old English gemong a mingling
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