pug

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

noun

one of a breed of small, short-haired dogs having a tightly curled tail, a deeply wrinkled face, and a smooth coat that is black or silver and fawn with black markings.

pug nose.

Nearby words

puffer, puffery, puffin, puffin crossing, puffy, pug, pug mill, pug nose, pug-nose, pugachov, pugaree

Origin of pug

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

Related formspug·gi·ness, nounpug·gish, pug·gy, adjective

Definition for pug (2 of 4)

pug

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

verb (used with object), pugged, pug·ging.

to knead (clay or the like) with water to make it plastic, as for brickmaking.

to fill or stop with clay or the like.

to pack or cover with mortar or the like, as to deaden sound.

to mix with water so as to form a paste.

Origin of pug

First recorded in 1800–10; origin uncertain

Definition for pug (3 of 4)

pug

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

noun Slang.

a boxer; pugilist.

Origin of pug

First recorded in 1855–60; short for pugilist

Definition for pug (4 of 4)

pug

⁴

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

noun

Also called pugmark. a footprint, especially of a game animal.

verb (used with object), pugged, pug·ging.

to track (especially game) by following footprints or another spoor.

Origin of pug

⁴

First recorded in 1860–65, pug is from the Hindi word pag footprint

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pug

A giant silk-screen of Sophia Loren hung in the background; the couple's pug nuzzled at the trio's feet.
Secrets of Online Sex|Jessica Bennett|April 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He looked at the Pug, and the Pug winked knowingly with his half-closed left eyelid.
The White Moll|Frank L. Packard
He has a snub soft nose like Lady Scillys pug, with wrinkles on the bridge of it.
The Celebrity at Home|Violet Hunt
There in the frame was a life-size photograph of the pug in place of his, which Sukyanna had removed.
Dynamite Stories|Hudson Maxim

It is generally assumed that one is endowed by nature with an appreciation of art as one is born with a pug nose.
Talks on the study of literature.|Arlo Bates
I know some wonderfully busy men, whose earnings wouldn't keep a pug dog.
Tin-Types Taken in the Streets of New York|Lemuel Ely Quigg

British Dictionary definitions for pug (1 of 3)

pug

/ (pʌɡ) /

noun

Also called: carlin a small compact breed of dog with a smooth coat, lightly curled tail, and a short wrinkled nose

any of several small geometrid moths, mostly of the genus Eupithecia, with slim forewings held outstretched at rest

Derived Formspuggish, adjective

Word Origin for pug

C16: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for pug (2 of 3)

pug

/ (pʌɡ) /

verb pugs, pugging or pugged (tr)

to mix or knead (clay) with water to form a malleable mass or paste, often in a pug mill

to fill or stop with clay or a similar substance

(of cattle) to trample (the ground) into consolidated mud

Word Origin for pug

C19: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for pug (3 of 3)

pug

/ (pʌɡ) /

noun

a slang name for boxer (def. 1)

Word Origin for pug

C20: shortened from pugilist

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

Word Origin and History for pug

pug

1560s, general term of endearment (also puggy), probably related to puck (n.2); one of the earliest senses is "sprite, imp" (1610s). The sense of "miniature dog" is from 1749 (pug-dog); that of "monkey" is 1660s. The word at various times meant "a bargeman" (1590s), "a harlot" (c.1600), and "an upper servant in a great house" (1847).