pooch

1 of 2

noun

plural pooches
informal
: dog
a cute pooch
Before the abusive letters pour in …, may I state that I am very fond of dogs. Loyal, obedient, housetrained pooches are a pleasure to rub noses with.Romany Bain

pooch

2 of 2

verb

pooched; pooching; pooches

intransitive verb

chiefly dialectal
: bulge
Phrases
screw the pooch
US slang
: to botch an activity or undertaking : screw up
He's a little cocky, but he's not about to screw the pooch.Douglas M. Bailey
Such is life. Sometimes you score big, and sometimes you screw the pooch.Greg Jerrett

Examples of pooch in a Sentence

Noun What a cute little pooch! walking down the street with several pooches on leashes Verb his lower lip pooched out in disappointment
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Virtual obedience training If your pooch needs help settling down, check your local library for books on dog training from experts like Pat Miller or Kim Brophey. Liz Knueven, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025 As things escalated, the attacker yanked out a machete intending to attack his rival’s dog — but the victim stepped in to protect his pooch, cops said. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2025 The popular pooch, who starred alongside Barrymore in a Ring commercial last year, can frequently be spotted accompanying his mom on set, often sitting beside her or sleeping during celebrity interviews. EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025 One such pooch is the Labrador belonging to TikTok user @brandyheath101. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pooch 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

Verb

alteration of pouch entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1908, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pooch was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near pooch

Cite this Entry

“Pooch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pooch. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

pooch

noun
ˈpüch
informal

More from Merriam-Webster on pooch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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