pup

1 of 2

noun

1
: a young dog
also : one of the young of various animals (such as a seal or rat)
2

pup

2 of 2

verb

pupped; pupping

intransitive verb

: to give birth to pups

Examples of pup in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Williams believed that Dorothy would be pushed out of her comfort zone without her iconic pup Toto by her side. Lexi Carson, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024 Last year, his team produced oocytes using cells from male mice, resulting in pups born to two biological fathers. Shinya Yamanaka, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024 Millie raised her pup using the surrogacy program protocols, and it was eventually released. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024 Coatsworth’s three-legged cocker spaniel, Tubby, was the disaster’s only casualty: Though a bystander tried to grab the dog from the reporter’s car, the frightened pup nipped at his hand, leading the would-be rescuer to abandon his efforts. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024 Aggravating factors include fishing, pollution and habitat loss, on top of the species' unusually infrequent and low-yielding breeding patterns – sand tigers don't breed annually, and only bear up to two pups at a time. Kyle Schmidbauer, Fox News, 26 Mar. 2024 Wandering the streets of Phoenix, this sweet pup was found with an extremely injured eye that was beyond saving. The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024 Diamond started lactating shortly after her sister Erica gave birth and helped her nurse the pups; now the adult dogs are looking for a home together Two canine sisters are looking for a home of their own after raising a family together. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024 Now, a friend is doing everything in his power to make sure the pup finds a good and loving home. Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
Coyote pupping season stretches from the time when coyotes give birth to when the pups become juveniles and leave their parents, said Niamh Quinn, human-wildlife interactions advisor for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The start of spring, a time when outdoor enthusiasts and their furry sidekicks hit the trails, coincides with coyote pupping season and experts say dog owners should take precautions on their next outdoor trek to avoid confrontations with overly protective coyotes. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 While otters are active in the Morro Bay area year-round, the peak period of pupping is October through January with a secondary peak in March and April. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The otters are active year-round, but when planning your trip be aware that the main pupping season happens October through January with a secondary spike in March and April. Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 The following spring, in April 2022, the coastal commission implemented an annual seasonal closure from May 1 to October 31 during sea lion pupping season. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023 The Children’s Pool, a small beach partially protected by a seawall, has been closing yearly for harbor seal pupping season from Dec. 15 through May 15 since 2014. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023 Incidents were equally common during the spring pupping season and in summer, researchers said. Vanessa Arredondo, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023 To prove her point, Romano introduces Alvin and Louie to three dogs of various ages and sizes to see which pup the pair bonds with most. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

short for puppy

First Known Use

Noun

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pup was in 1542

Dictionary Entries Near pup

Cite this Entry

“Pup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pup. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

pup

noun
ˈpəp
: puppy
also : one of the young of various animals (as a seal or rat)

More from Merriam-Webster on pup

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