pug

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

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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.

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Origin of pug

First recorded in 1560–70; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM pug

pug·gi·ness, nounpuggish, puggy, adjective

Words nearby pug

puff paste, puff pastry, puff piece, puff-puff, puffy, pug, Pugachov, pugaree, pugdog, Puget, Puget Sound

Other definitions for pug (2 of 4)

pug²

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

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

to fill or stop with clay or the like.

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

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

Other definitions for pug (3 of 4)

pug³

[ puhg ]

/ pʌg /

noun Slang.

a boxer; pugilist.

Origin of pug

First recorded in 1855–60; short for pugilist

Other definitions for pug (4 of 4)

pug⁴

[ 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; from Hindi pag “footprint”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pug in a sentence

Whether your favorite four-legged friend is a yellow lab, a pug, or a tuxedo tabby cat, you’ve probably seen them chasing, and then devouring—with relish—the occasional butterfly or cricket.
Would you feed your dog insect-based pet food?|Michelle Cheng|February 23, 2022|Quartz
Rounding out the household is the family dog, a googly-eyed pug named Monchi.
Refreshing ‘Mitchells vs. the Machines’ an inclusive family treat|John Paul King|February 5, 2022|Washington Blade
In old Instagram posts, Graziano attempts to rouse the pug checking if he’d be a “wet” or “soggy” Noodle.
Noodle, an Internet-famous pug, sets the vibe for the day. Here’s why we love him.|Kari Sonde|October 28, 2021|Washington Post
If the pug remains standing for even a few seconds, it is a “bones” day, a day for action and accomplishing goals.
Noodle, an Internet-famous pug, sets the vibe for the day. Here’s why we love him.|Kari Sonde|October 28, 2021|Washington Post

One recent video of Noodle has accumulated upwards of 11 million views, and the pug has been featured everywhere from NBC’s Today show to the New York Times.
A TikTok-famous elderly pug is a mascot for the burned-out masses|Sarah Todd|October 22, 2021|Quartz
Clarke remains a most literal champion of the underdog; her present pet reportedly is a deaf and blind pug named Jack.
Judy Clarke, the Defense Lawyer Appointed to Defend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev|Michael Daly|May 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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
I took the rabbit with a pair of tongs; the others had handled their baits and pug crept round 'em and nosed the trick.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend|Charles Reade
"So you see what went when I went," the pug said, after a noisy pause.
A Boswell of Baghdad|E. V. Lucas
Its father was a Great Dane, and its mother a pug, but considering it is a 'Hun' it is not half bad, and is a great favourite.
The Heroic Record of the British Navy|Archibald Hurd
I hopes they makes a clean job of it, said Pug; and I hopes they sweep away some of them blasted machine guns at the same time.
Grapes of wrath|Boyd Cable
Near the top Pug exclaimed suddenly, grasped wildly at nothing, collapsed and rolled backward into the trench.
Grapes of wrath|Boyd Cable

British Dictionary definitions for pug (1 of 3)

pug¹

/ (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 forms of pug

puggish, adjective

Word Origin for pug

C16: of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for pug (2 of 3)

pug²

/ (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)

pug³

/ (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