beagle
Americannoun
noun
-
a small sturdy breed of hound, having a smooth dense coat usually of white, tan, and black; often used (esp formerly) for hunting hares
-
archaic a person who spies on others
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beagle
1490–1500; perhaps < Middle French beegueule one who whines insistently, equivalent to bee, 3rd person singular of beer to be open, gape (by-form of bayer ( see bay 2) + gueule mouth (of an animal); see gullet
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.
See Examples For:
For 51-year-old Barry Nicholson, walking is easiest with a companion - particularly his energetic beagle Max.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
“Snoopy, for example, is said to be an ‘extrovert beagle with a Walter Mitty complex.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
Bowman found he could no longer travel without his dogs after Roscoe, a rescued beagle mix he once took to Victory Lane at Daytona, passed away two years ago while he was testing in Indianapolis.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2025
We're treated to frequent appearances by the Sussexes' sleepy beagle Guy, who died in January, but not before enjoying a lifetime of homemade dog biscuits Meghan prepares with leftover bacon.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2025
I don’t say a word to the beagle the rest of the way home, hoping he’ll turn at some point and go back.
From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Prosecutors allege Hsiung, a 44-year-old lawyer and co-founder of two California-based animal rights groups, entered a facility that breeds dogs for medical testing and stole property: beagles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
Visitors pass through a biosecurity gantlet at the airport, with specially trained beagles sniffing out such contraband as seeds, fruit, vegetables, meats, or honey.
From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2025
The federal government filed the suit against Envigo in May 2022, claiming that it had failed to humanely care for thousands of beagles at the facility.
From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2024
She grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, where her parents were professional dog handlers, breeding beagles in their garage.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2024
Any hound that got snappy with Bertha was promptly corrected, and the pack of yowling beagles provided a noisy but festive escort back to the POE.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
