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Synonyms

pup

American  
[puhp] / pʌp /

noun

  1. a young dog; puppy.

  2. the young of certain other animals, as the rat, shark, or fur seal.

  3. a small plant developing as an offshoot from a mature plant.

verb (used without object)

pupped, pupping

  1. to give birth to pups.

pup British  
/ pʌp /

noun

    1. a young dog, esp when under one year of age; puppy

    2. the young of various other animals, such as the seal

  2. (of a bitch) pregnant

  3. informal a conceited young man (esp in the phrase young pup )

  4. to swindle someone by selling him something worthless

  5. slang it's early yet

"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

verb

  1. (of dogs, seals, etc) to give birth to (young)

"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

Etymology

Origin of pup

First recorded in 1580–90; shortened variant of puppy

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.

A zoo is celebrating the birth of a giant anteater pup, which zoologists say is "considered the most threatened mammal in Central America".

From BBC

Another toss of the burger flies to the pup.

From Literature

“The wolf was the one who said she was ready to go. She said something about her young pups and whoosh! Out she went. She wanted to rush out!”

From Literature

At a South African rescue centre, a pangolin pup rests wrapped in a blanket.

From BBC

As a pup, the four-legged hero's boundless energy made it tough to stay indoors, but he found his true potential in the bush.

From Barron's

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.