dog (dôg, d?g)n.1. A domesticated carnivorous mammal (Canis familiaris syn. Canis lupus subsp. familiaris) occurring as a wide variety of breeds, many of which are traditionally used for hunting, herding, drawing sleds, and other tasks, and are kept as pets.2. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Canidae, such as the dingo.3. A male animal of the family Canidae, especially of a fox or a domesticated breed.4. Any of various other animals, such as the prairie dog.5. Informal a. A person: You won, you lucky dog.b. A person regarded as contemptible: You stole my watch, you dog.6. Slang a. A person regarded as unattractive or uninteresting.b. Something of inferior or low quality: “The President had read the speech to some of his friends and they told him it was a dog” (John P. Roche).c. An investment that produces a low return or a loss.7. dogs Slang The feet.8. See andiron.9. Slang A hot dog; a wiener.10. Any of various hooked or U-shaped metallic devices used for gripping or holding heavy objects.11. Astronomy A sundog.adv. Totally; completely. Often used in combination: dog-tired.tr.v. dogged, dog·ging, dogs 1. To track or trail persistently: “A stranger then is still dogging us” (Arthur Conan Doyle).2. To hold or fasten with a mechanical device: “Watertight doors and hatches were dropped into place and dogged down to give the ship full watertight integrity” (Tom Clancy).3. a. To be persistently or inescapably associated with: Questions about his youthful indiscretions dogged him throughout his career.b. To be recurrently or persistently in the mind; haunt: Despair dogged him in his final years.Idioms: dog it Slang To fail to expend the effort needed to do or accomplish something. go to the dogs To go to ruin; degenerate. put on the dog Informal To make an ostentatious display of elegance, wealth, or culture.[Middle English dogge, cur, ordinary dog (often as opposed to a hunting hound or other valuable dog), from Old English docga, dog, perhaps originally a diminutive or a hypocorism meaning “Darky, Dusky,” from dox, dark, dusky (for the formation, compare Old English frox, frog, and frogga, frog, perhaps originally a diminutive).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.dog (d??) n1. (Animals) a. a domesticated canine mammal, Canis familiaris, occurring in many breeds that show a great variety in size and formb. (as modifier): dog biscuit. 2. (Animals) a. any other carnivore of the family Canidae, such as the dingo and coyoteb. (as modifier): the dog family. canine3. (Zoology) a. the male of animals of the dog familyb. (as modifier): a dog fox. 4. (modifier) a. spurious, inferior, or useless: dog Latin. b. (in combination): dogberry. 5. (Mechanical Engineering) a mechanical device for gripping or holding, esp one of the axial slots by which gear wheels or shafts are engaged to transmit torque6. informal a fellow; chap: you lucky dog. 7. informal a man or boy regarded as unpleasant, contemptible, or wretched8. informal US a male friend: used as a term of address9. slang an unattractive or boring girl or woman10. informal US and Canadian something unsatisfactory or inferior11. (Furniture) short for firedog12. (Physical Geography) any of various atmospheric phenomena. See fogdog, seadog, sundog13. a dog’s chance no chance at all14. a dog’s dinner a dog’s breakfast informal something that is messy or bungled15. a dog’s life a wretched existence16. dog eat dog ruthless competition or self-interest17. (Clothing & Fashion) like a dog’s dinner informal dressed smartly or ostentatiously18. put on the dog informal US and Canadian to behave or dress in an ostentatious or showy mannervb (tr) , dogs, dogging or dogged19. to pursue or follow after like a dog20. to trouble; plague: to be dogged by ill health. 21. (Hunting) to chase with a dog or dogs22. (Mechanical Engineering) to grip, hold, or secure by a mechanical deviceadv (usually in combination) thoroughly; utterly: dog-tired. [Old English docga, of obscure origin] ?dog?like adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014dog (d?g, d?g) n., v. dogged, dog?ging. n. 1. a domesticated canid, Canis familiaris, bred in many varieties. 2. any carnivore of the dog family Canidae, characterized in the wild state by a long muzzle, erect ears, and a long bushy tail; canid. 3. the male of such an animal. 4. a despicable man or youth. 5. a fellow in general: a lucky dog. 6. dogs, Slang. feet. 7. Slang. a. something worthless or of extremely poor quality. b. an utter failure; flop. 8. Slang. an unattractive person. 9. Slang. hot dog. 10. (cap.) either of two constellations, Canis Major or Canis Minor. 11. a. any of various mechanical devices, as for gripping or holding something. b. a projection on a moving part for moving steadily or for tripping another part with which it engages. v.t. 12. to follow or track like a dog, esp. with hostile intent; hound. 13. to drive or chase with a dog or dogs. Idioms: 1. dog it, Informal. to do something perfunctorily or not at all. 2. go to the dogs, to deteriorate; degenerate. 3. put on the dog, Informal. to assume an attitude of wealth or importance. [before 1050; Middle English dogge, Old English docga] dog?like`, adj. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.dog (dôg)1. Any of various meat-eating mammals having a long muzzle and, in nearly all species, a four-toed foot. Many species hunt in packs that have complex social structures. Dogs include the wolf, fox, jackal, and dingo.2. The domesticated dog, kept as a pet or work animal since ancient times and probably descended from the wolf. Domesticated dogs are bred in many varieties, though they all belong to the same species.The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.dogPast participle: doggedGerund: doggingImperativePresentPreteritePresent ContinuousPresent PerfectPast ContinuousPast PerfectFutureFuture PerfectFuture ContinuousPresent Perfect ContinuousFuture Perfect ContinuousPast Perfect ContinuousConditionalPast ConditionalImperativedogdogPresentI dogyou doghe/she/it dogswe dogyou dogthey dogPreteriteI doggedyou doggedhe/she/it doggedwe doggedyou doggedthey doggedPresent ContinuousI am doggingyou are dogginghe/she/it is doggingwe are doggingyou are doggingthey are doggingPresent PerfectI have doggedyou have doggedhe/she/it has doggedwe have doggedyou have doggedthey have doggedPast ContinuousI was doggingyou were dogginghe/she/it was doggingwe were doggingyou were doggingthey were doggingPast PerfectI had doggedyou had doggedhe/she/it had doggedwe had doggedyou had doggedthey had doggedFutureI will dogyou will doghe/she/it will dogwe will dogyou will dogthey will dogFuture PerfectI will have doggedyou will have doggedhe/she/it will have doggedwe will have doggedyou will have doggedthey will have doggedFuture ContinuousI will be doggingyou will be dogginghe/she/it will be doggingwe will be doggingyou will be doggingthey will be doggingPresent Perfect ContinuousI have been doggingyou have been dogginghe/she/it has been doggingwe have been doggingyou have been doggingthey have been doggingFuture Perfect ContinuousI will have been doggingyou will have been dogginghe/she/it will have been doggingwe will have been doggingyou will have been doggingthey will have been doggingPast Perfect ContinuousI had been doggingyou had been dogginghe/she/it had been doggingwe had been doggingyou had been doggingthey had been doggingConditionalI would dogyou would doghe/she/it would dogwe would dogyou would dogthey would dogPast ConditionalI would have doggedyou would have doggedhe/she/it would have doggedwe would have doggedyou would have doggedthey would have doggedCollins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011