poodle

American  

[pood-l] / ˈpud l /

noun

1. one of a breed of notably intelligent dogs, having thick frizzy or curly hair usually trimmed in standard patterns, and occurring in three varieties (standard poodle, miniature poodle, andtoy poodle ) that differ in size.

   What I miss most about our old place are the six big poodles who live at the herb farm next door.

---

poodle British  

/ ˈpuːdəl /

noun

1. 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

2. a person who is servile; lackey

---

Etymology

Origin of poodle

First recorded in 1770–75; from German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, equivalent to pudel(n) “to splash” + Hund “dog”; puddle, hound ¹

Compare meaning

How does poodle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Bichon Frise vs. poodle

Example Sentences

He scooped up a shaggy white poodle who didn’t look very happy about what was about to happen.

From Literature

In another video played to the court, Warren told police his XL Bullies, one of which he bought on Gumtree, were "the friendliest dogs I know" and said poodles were "more aggressive".

From BBC

But sprinkled throughout were a few Party City hippies, poodle skirts, and others who had simply not bothered to try at all, wearing whatever they would have for a typical night out.

From Literature

As a Californian, I’ve always connected with his storytelling, and this story of a cross-country road trip with his poodle brings the vast variety of American life into perspective.

From The Wall Street Journal

The poodle had become timid and was reluctant to leave Lee's side.

From Barron's

Related Words

• beagle