puppy

noun

pup·​py ˈpə-pē How to pronounce puppy (audio)
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 noun
puppyish adjective
puppylike adjective

Examples of puppy in a Sentence

Our dog just had four puppies.
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.
But three suspects are still on the loose, and one of the puppies remains missing. Simon J. Levien, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025 The store priced each of the bulldog puppies at $4,299 each. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025 The very good boy had been part of Johnson's family since 2015, joining the clan alongside another French bulldog puppy by the name of Brutus. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2025 The dog, owned by the woman, recently had a litter of puppies, the San Diego Humane Society said in an email to McClatchy News. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for puppy

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of puppy was in 1567

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puppy. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

puppy

noun
pup·​py ˈpəp-ē How to pronounce puppy (audio)
plural puppies
: a young domestic dog
especially : one less than a year old

More from Merriam-Webster on puppy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!