dog

1 noun (C)

1 ANIMAL a very common animal that people keep as a pet or to guard a building: I could hear a dog barking.

2 MALE ANIMAL a male dog, fox 1 (1) etc

—compare bitch 1 (1)

3 be going to the dogs informal if an organization is going to the dogs, it is getting much worse and will be difficult to improve: This country's really going to the dogs!

4 WOMAN slang an offensive word used by men meaning an unattractive woman

5 it's dog eat dog an expression used to describe a situation in which people compete strongly and will do anything to get what they want: Show business isn't all glamour, it's dog eat dog out there. | Advertising is a dog-eat-dog business.

6 it's a dog's life spoken used to say that life is difficult and full of hard work and worry, with very little pleasure

7 not have a dog's chance informal to have no chance of being successful

8 make a dog's breakfast of sth BrE informal to do something very badly: You've made a real dog's breakfast of putting those shelves up.

9 be dressed up like a dog's dinner BrE informal to be wearing expensive clothes that you think are suitable for a social event, but that other people think are silly

10 dog in the manger someone who will not let other people use or have something, even though they do not need it themselves

11 every dog has its day an expression used to mean that even the most unimportant person has a time in their life when they are successful and noticed

12 sth is a dog AmE informal used to say that something is very poor quality: This radio is a dog.

13 the dogs BrE informal a sports event which consists of a series of races for dogs

14 put on the dog AmE old-fashioned to pretend to be richer than you really are or to know more than you really do

—see also: doghouse, the hair of the dog hair (10), shaggy dog story, as sick as a dog sick 1 (1), let sleeping dogs lie sleep 2 (6), the tail wagging the dog tail 1 (11), top dog top 2 (7), treat someone like a dog treat 1 (1) 2 verb dogged, dogging (T)

1 if a problem or bad luck dogs you, it causes trouble for a long time: Maradona had been dogged by injury all season.

2 to follow close behind someone: A mob of youths had been dogging us for some time.