puppy

noun

pup·​py ˈpə-pē 

plural puppies

1

: a young domestic dog

specifically : one less than a year old

2

: baby sense 4

a computer that is one fast puppy

puppyhood

ˈpə-pē-ˌhu̇d 

noun

puppyish

ˈpə-pē-ish 

adjective

puppylike

ˈpə-pē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of puppy in a Sentence

Our dog just had four puppies.

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the pooches was giving birth to puppies as police and animal rescue groups went room by room, recovering scores of dogs from the E. 66th St. home near National Drive in Mill Basin. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025

Officials said 15 adult dogs and one 4-week-old puppy were taken from the property, and that later, four of the dogs went into labor and had puppies. —Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2025

Veterinarians recommend the best puppy food with all the proper nutrients and tell us which ingredients to avoid. —Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 16 July 2025

At just 8 weeks old, pit-bull puppy Sebastian found himself in the care of a shelter in California. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popi, from Middle French poupée doll, toy, from *poupe

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing puppy

• foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
• hush puppy
• mud puppy
• one sick puppy
• one tired puppy
• puppy dog
• puppy fat
• puppy love
• puppy mill

Rhymes for puppy

• guppy
• yuppie

Kids Definition

puppy

noun

pup·​py ˈpəp-ē 

plural puppies

: a young domestic dog

especially : one less than a year old