poodle
Americannoun
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poodles
plural
noun
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a breed of dog, with varieties of different sizes, having curly hair, which is often clipped from ribs to tail for showing: originally bred to hunt waterfowl
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a person who is servile; lackey
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of poodle
First recorded in 1770–75; from German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, equivalent to pudel(n) “to splash” + Hund “dog”; see puddle, hound 1
Compare meaning
How does poodle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A poodle is an intelligent dog with a densely coiled coat. Although they're commonly referred to as French poodles, the breed actually originated in Germany. Poodle comes from the German Pudelhund, "water dog," and its root pudel, "puddle." And while the poodle is the national dog of France, it's known as a caniche in French, or “duck dog.” Poodles are smart, active dogs that were bred to retrieve from water. Some poodles have exaggerated haircuts, with round tufts of hair on their heads, ankles, and tails. Many people with dog allergies find they can tolerate poodles, adding to the breed's popularity.
Vocabulary lists containing poodle
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:
Such restraint today seems as quaint as poodle skirts and “I Love Lucy.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
I have two dogs: a 120-pound Great Pyrenees-Border Collie-German Shepherd mix, and then at the other end of the spectrum, a seven-pound poodle mix.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
The golden doodle/mini poodle was placed in Animal Protective Services for 10 days, a mandatory period to allow the owner to retrieve the dog.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
The poodle had become timid and was reluctant to leave Lee's side.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
The poodle squats to relieve itself on the cobbles, and the girl veers neatly to her left to skirt it.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
He added that while many people knew poodles and spaniels required a lot of exercise, "that same kind of consideration might not necessarily be given by everyone towards a cockapoo".
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Chihuahuas, rat terriers and miniature poodles are muscling in on strength contests long dominated by big dogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
In Beverly Hills, retirees push their toy poodles in strollers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025
In his spare time, he breeds toy poodles, some of which have competed at dog shows like Crufts.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024
He was far out of place with the boxers, poodles, bird dogs, and other breeds of town dogs.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
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.
