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 an Aussie doodle, a teacup poodle and a maltipoo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
Now eight-weeks-old, the household's numerous new arrivals – dubbed Irish Doodles because their mother was mated with a poodle – are believed to be the biggest litter that crossbreed has seen in the UK.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
The poodle had become timid and was reluctant to leave Lee's side.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
For this reason I took one companion on my journey—an old French gentleman poodle known as Charley.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Pink poodles with long black eyelashes danced in a can-can line, a quartet of googly-eyed cacti bobbed along to the music and a trio of small white dogs galloped on the stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
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
A standard French poodle born near Paris, he belonged to an elegant, luxurious breed, though in previous centuries, poodles were used to retrieve game from water.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 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.
