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

Kate and William, both 43, confirmed the arrival of the puppies with a photo released on June 21 to celebrate the Prince of Wales' birthday. —Stephanie Petit, People.com, 25 June 2025

Three weeks before Saint’s death, Gutierrez recalls picking the 9-month-old puppy up from the Baldwin Park shelter. —Sean Emery, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025

The mother said her boy picked Ziggy out of a rescue litter after seeing that the puppy had a white patch of fur, just like a white patch of hair her son was born with. —Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 June 2025

In many cases, hearing loss in puppies goes unnoticed for weeks or even months. —Lila Hempel-Edgers, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 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