mongrel

[ muhng-gruhl, mong- ]
/ ˈmʌŋ grəl, ˈmɒŋ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR mongrel ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM mongrel

mon·grel·ism, mon·grel·ness, nounmon·grel·ly, adverb

Words nearby mongrel

mongolian spot, mongolic, mongolism, mongoloid, mongoose, mongrel, mongrelize, mongst, mongu, monial, monic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to mongrel

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

Example sentences 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 of mongrel

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