pup
Americannoun
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a young dog; puppy.
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the young of certain other animals, as the rat, shark, or fur seal.
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a small plant developing as an offshoot from a mature plant.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a young dog, esp when under one year of age; puppy
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the young of various other animals, such as the seal
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(of a bitch) pregnant
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informal a conceited young man (esp in the phrase young pup )
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to swindle someone by selling him something worthless
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slang it's early yet
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pupsimple
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pupssimple
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have puppedperfect
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has puppedperfect
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am puppingprogressive
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are puppingprogressive
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is puppingprogressive
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have been puppingperfect progressive
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has been puppingperfect progressive
Past
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puppedsimple
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had puppedperfect
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was puppingprogressive
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were puppingprogressive
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had been puppingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pup
First recorded in 1580–90; shortened variant of puppy
Explanation
Even though you probably think of a young, cuddly dog when you hear the word pup, a pup is the correct name for the young of many different mammals (even the not-so-cuddly porcupine!). When your dog has babies, they're pups, and the same is true of baby wolves. What's more surprising is that so are the baby anteaters in the zoo, as well as the offspring of sea lions, gerbils, and mongooses, among others. Sometimes this noun is also used to mean a young person who's particularly naive or arrogant. Pup comes from puppy, from the Middle French poupée, "doll."
Vocabulary lists containing pup
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.
He has been credited as the author of two books, Pawtobiography and Pup Fiction, and is to make his final appearance in the show during its upcoming ninth series.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
Kids can enjoy crafts with Rediscover, adopt a furry friend from Pup Culture Rescue and grab treats from Fantasy Cotton Candy Truck.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025
We had a dog named Bumble who is sight and hearing impaired win the MVP, the Most Valuable Pup, and rightfully so, because he deserved it.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2025
The Stanley Pup will feature rescue dogs representing the 32 NHL teams.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 2, 2024
“Wow-wow-wow!” he bayed; and Frisky, the Red Fox Pup, heard and came trotting to peek at him and see what it was all about.
From The Adventures of Fleetfoot and Her Fawns by Chaffee, Allen
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.
