What does "pup" mean?
A young dog, wolf, fox, seal, bat or shark, or the young of certain other animals.
Pup
/pʌp/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A young dog, wolf, fox, seal, bat or shark, or the young of certain other animals.
- Grammar: pup is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: puppy, bandog, be confined, bear.
- Useful contrasts: adult dog, adult seal, expert.
- Usage evidence: My pup took a marrow-bone and sat mousy-quiet in a corner.
How to use "pup"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pup" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "pup" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "pup" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pup" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "pup" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "puppy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "pup", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A young dog, wolf, fox, seal, bat or shark, or the young of certain other animals.
"The dog has had that bed since he was just a pup."
- 2 Acronym of potentially unwanted program, software that most computer users do not want on their computers, such as adware. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
- 3 young of any of various canines such as a dog or wolf wordnet
- 4 A young, inexperienced person.
"The new teacher is a mere pup."
- 5 Paid up
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 an inexperienced young person wordnet
- 7 Any cute dog, regardless of age.
"My pup likes to run as fast as he can, yet cannot always stop in time!"
- 8 Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein
- 9 A short semi-trailer used jointly with a dolly and another semi-trailer to create a twin trailer.
- 10 A new plant growing from a shoot that can be used for propagation.
- 11 A kind of small spotlight.
"For a scene like the Highgate exhumation night sequence suitable equipment would consist of: two brutes on Molevators, three 10 K lights also on Molevators and, for good measure, two 5 Ks, four 2 Ks, two pups (1000 W), two North lights […]"
- 12 An early edition of a periodical publication, intended for distribution to distant locations. US
- 13 Someone who participates in pup play (the sexual practice of role-playing as a young dog). slang
"It could be any dude, as long as you really want to fuck him. It could be a... a twink, a bear, an otter, a circuit queen, a chub, a pup, a gipster, a daddy chaser, a leatherman, a ladyboy, a Donald Duck. Donald Duck's a gay guy who's been kicked out of the Navy."
- 14 A small tributary or feeder stream in the US state of Alaska.
"[...] stream gravels of Bear Pup are auriferous for a distance of at least 2 miles above its mouth."
Verb
- 1 To give birth to pups. intransitive
- 2 give birth to (a puppy) wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Private Use Plane: either of the two Unicode planes (planes 15 and 16) reserved for private use. abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 A white dwarf star, the secondary star in the binary star system Sirius, Alpha Canis Majoris. informal
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"My pup took a marrow-bone and sat mousy-quiet in a corner."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pup"?
Common synonyms include: puppy, bandog, be confined, bear, bear a child, bear young.
How do you use "pup" in a sentence?
My pup took a marrow-bone and sat mousy-quiet in a corner.
How do you pronounce "pup"?
Pronounced /pʌp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of puppy.
Etymology 2
Capitalization of pup. From pups being small dogs. From being a small star next to the Dog Star.