puppy

American  

[puhp-ee] / ˈpʌp i /

noun

plural

puppies

1. a young dog, especially one less than a year old.

2. Fox Hunting. a foxhound that has hunted regularly for less than one season.

3. pup.

4. a presuming, conceited, or empty-headed young man.

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puppy British  

/ ˈpʌpɪ /

noun

1. a young dog; pup

2. informal a brash or conceited young man; pup

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Other Word Forms

• puppydom noun
• puppyhood noun
• puppyish adjective
• puppylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of puppy

First recorded in 1480–90; earlier popi; see origin at puppet, -y ²

Explanation

A puppy is a baby dog. Unless you're more of a cat person, there's nothing cuter than puppies playing together. When a dog is born, it's a puppy. Puppies, like most mammals, start out very small and quickly grow larger — in fact, some puppies' coats change color as they mature, resulting in a fully grown dog that looks completely different. In the fifteenth century, a puppy was specifically "a woman's small pet dog," from the Middle French poupée, "doll or toy."

Example Sentences

Video from inside the animal urgent care shows the tiny puppy sitting outside the entrance and jumping up on the door before staff members spotted it at 4:11 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

The 2½-month-old puppy, Peanut, was brought in as a stray on March 9 after being rescued by a good Samaritan in Arcadia, according to Jamie Holeman, chief marketing and communications officer at Pasadena Humane.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Sam is hapless and downwardly mobile, yet he’s as likable as a shy puppy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

She also raised concerns over designer crossbreeds being bred by puppy farms, leading to bad behaviour and bad health.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Big Tony looked down and saw a feisty little puppy yapping at him.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• dog
• pup
• whelp