puppy dog

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noun

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dog whistle Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

They Call It Puppy Love And Other Animal-inspired Phrases We 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 …

Nearby words

puppeteer, puppetry, puppis, puppp, puppy, puppy dog, puppy fat, puppy love, puppyfoot, pupu, pur

Origin of puppy dog

First recorded in 1585–95

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for puppy dog

The sense is—'and he could romp about, exactly as if he were a puppy-dog.'
Chaucer's Works, Volume 5 (of 7) -- Notes to the Canterbury Tales|Geoffrey Chaucer
On horseback you think yourself somebody, but you look like a puppy-dog.
The Fourth Estate, vol. 2|Armando Palacio Valds
She shut her eyes, then like a puppy-dog snuggling to its mother, turned and dug her round little nose into the pillow.
The Trimming of Goosie|James Hopper
He was lying on his back, with his paws in the air, and whining very like a puppy-dog.
The Emerald City of Oz|L. Frank Baum

If Pewee wants to put himself in as mean a crowd as yours, and be your puppy-dog to fight for you, let him come on.
The Hoosier School-boy|Edward Eggleston