puppy
[ puhp-ee ]
/ ˈpʌp i /
noun, plural pup·pies.
a young dog, especially one less than a year old.
Fox Hunting. a foxhound that has hunted regularly for less than one season.
a presuming, conceited, or empty-headed young man.
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They Call It Puppy Love And Other Animal-inspired PhrasesWe often attribute emotions and other human characteristics to animals. This is called anthropomorphism. Similarly, we also describe people using animal characteristics. You might, for example, say my teenage son “eats like a horse,” meaning he’s a growing boy and consumes a lot of food. This is called zoomorphism. Zoomorphism also includes assigning animal-like qualities to gods and inanimate objects. The term comes from the Greek …
Nearby words
Related formspup·py·hood, pup·py·dom, nounpup·py·ish, adjectivepup·py·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for puppies
British Dictionary definitions for puppies
puppy
/ (ˈpʌpɪ) /
noun plural -pies
a young dog; pup
informal, derogatory a brash or conceited young man; pup
Derived Formspuppyhood, nounpuppyish, adjective
Word Origin for puppy
C15 popi, from Old French popée doll; compare puppet
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for puppies
puppy
late 15c., "woman's small pet dog," of uncertain origin but likely from Middle French poupée "doll, toy" (see puppet). Meaning shifted from "toy dog" to "young dog" (1590s), replacing Middle English whelp. In early use in English puppet and puppy were not always distinct from each other. Also used about that time in sense of "vain young man." Puppy-dog first attested 1590s (in Shakespeare, puppi-dogges). Puppy love is from 1823. Puppy fat is from 1937.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper