1.
[syn: German shepherd, German shepherd dog, German police dog, alsatian]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Dog \Dog\ (d[add]g or d[o^]g), n. [AS. docga; akin to D. dog
mastiff, Dan. dogge, Sw. dogg.]
1. (Zool.) A quadruped of the genus Canis, esp. the
domestic dog (Canis familiaris).
Note: The dog is distinguished above all others of the
inferior animals for intelligence, docility, and
attachment to man. There are numerous carefully bred
varieties, as the akita, beagle, bloodhound,
bulldog, coachdog, collie, Danish dog,
foxhound, greyhound, mastiff, pointer,
poodle, St. Bernard, setter, spaniel, spitz,
terrier, German shepherd, pit bull, Chihuahua,
etc. There are also many mixed breeds, and partially
domesticated varieties, as well as wild dogs, like the
dingo and dhole. (See these names in the Vocabulary.)
[1913 Webster +PJC]
2. A mean, worthless fellow; a wretch.
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What is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he
should do this great thing? -- 2 Kings
viii. 13 (Rev.
Ver. )
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3. A fellow; -- used humorously or contemptuously; as, a sly
dog; a lazy dog. [Colloq.]
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4. (Astron.) One of the two constellations, Canis Major and
Canis Minor, or the Greater Dog and the Lesser Dog. Canis
Major contains the Dog Star (Sirius).
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5. An iron for holding wood in a fireplace; a firedog; an
andiron.
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6. (Mech.)
(a) A grappling iron, with a claw or claws, for fastening
into wood or other heavy articles, for the purpose of
raising or moving them.
(b) An iron with fangs fastening a log in a saw pit, or on
the carriage of a sawmill.
(c) A piece in machinery acting as a catch or clutch;
especially, the carrier of a lathe, also, an
adjustable stop to change motion, as in a machine
tool.
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7. an ugly or crude person, especially an ugly woman. [slang]
[PJC]
8. a hot dog. [slang]
[PJC]
Note: Dog is used adjectively or in composition, commonly in
the sense of relating to, or characteristic of, a dog.
It is also used to denote a male; as, dog fox or g-fox,
a male fox; dog otter or dog-otter, dog wolf, etc.; --
also to denote a thing of cheap or mean quality; as,
dog Latin.
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A dead dog, a thing of no use or value. --1 Sam. xxiv. 14.
A dog in the manger, an ugly-natured person who prevents
others from enjoying what would be an advantage to them
but is none to him.
Dog ape (Zool.), a male ape.
Dog cabbage, or Dog's cabbage (Bot.), a succulent herb,
native to the Mediterranean region (Thelygonum
Cynocrambe).
Dog cheap, very cheap. See under Cheap.
Dog ear (Arch.), an acroterium. [Colloq.]
Dog flea (Zool.), a species of flea (Pulex canis) which
infests dogs and cats, and is often troublesome to man. In
America it is the common flea. See Flea, and
Aphaniptera.
Dog grass (Bot.), a grass (Triticum caninum) of the same
genus as wheat.
Dog Latin, barbarous Latin; as, the dog Latin of pharmacy.
Dog lichen (Bot.), a kind of lichen (Peltigera canina)
growing on earth, rocks, and tree trunks, -- a lobed
expansion, dingy green above and whitish with fuscous
veins beneath.
Dog louse (Zool.), a louse that infests the dog, esp.
H[ae]matopinus piliferus; another species is
Trichodectes latus.
Dog power, a machine operated by the weight of a dog
traveling in a drum, or on an endless track, as for
churning.
Dog salmon (Zool.), a salmon of northwest America and
northern Asia; -- the gorbuscha; -- called also holia,
and hone.
Dog shark. (Zool.) See Dogfish.
Dog's meat, meat fit only for dogs; refuse; offal.
Dog Star. See in the Vocabulary.
Dog wheat (Bot.), Dog grass.
Dog whelk (Zool.), any species of univalve shells of the
family Nassid[ae], esp. the Nassa reticulata of
England.
To give to the dogs, or To throw to the dogs, to throw
away as useless. "Throw physic to the dogs; I'll none of
it." --Shak.
To go to the dogs, to go to ruin; to be ruined.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
German shepherd
n 1: breed of large shepherd dogs used in police work and as a
guide for the blind [syn: German shepherd, German
shepherd dog, German police dog, alsatian]