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). 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

What is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? 2 Kings viii. 13 (Rev. Ver. ) [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A fellow; -- used humorously or contemptuously; as, a sly dog; a lazy dog. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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). [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An iron for holding wood in a fireplace; a firedog; an andiron. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. an ugly or crude person, especially an ugly woman. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

8. a hot dog. [ slang ] [ PJC ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. Hæmatopinus 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 Nassidæ, 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dogged p. pr. & vb. n. Dogging. ] To hunt or track like a hound; to follow insidiously or indefatigably; to chase with a dog or dogs; to worry, as if by dogs; to hound with importunity. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have been pursued, dogged, and waylaid. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your sins will dog you, pursue you. Burroughs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Eager ill-bred petitioners, who do not so properly supplicate as hunt the person whom they address to, dogging him from place to place, till they even extort an answer to their rude requests. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. dogalis for ducalis. See Doge. ] Of or pertaining to a doge.[ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. dogat, It. dogato. See Doge, and cf. Dogeate. ] The office or dignity of a doge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Said to be poisonous to dogs. Cf. Apocynaceous. ] (Bot.) A small genus of perennial herbaceous plants, with poisonous milky juice, bearing slender pods pods in pairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

A male or drone bee. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The berry of the dogwood; -- called also dogcherry. Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dogberry tree (Bot.), the dogwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gun.) The bolt of the cap-square over the trunnion of a cannon. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The dog-rose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A light one-horse carriage, commonly two-wheeled, patterned after a cart. The original dogcarts used in England by sportsmen had a box at the back for carrying dogs.