poodle
Americannoun
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
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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.
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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
Toni Yoakam, who founded the World Wide Weight Pull Organization, recalls the owner of a 3.5-pound miniature poodle snipping pompoms off her pooch’s feet and ears to get her to 3 pounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
A poodle, coiffed to make pompoms of its torso and tail, stands on its hind legs: puffed, ruffed and bum-padded, just like the ladies being fitted for bums.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 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 said having a negative perception of XL bullies was "mad to me" and insisted poodles were "more aggressive".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 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
Occasionally, Granny and I had to jump off the pavement to make way for madams and their poodles and English toy spaniels.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
