poodle

[ pood-l ]

noun

1. one of a breed of notably intelligent dogs, having thick frizzy or curly hair usually trimmed in standard patterns, and occurring in three varieties ( standard poodle, miniature poodle, and toy poodle ) that differ in size:

   What I miss most about our old place are the six big poodles who live at the herb farm next door.

poodle

/ ˈpuːdəl /

noun

1. a breed of dog, with varieties of different sizes, having curly hair, which is often clipped from ribs to tail for showing: originally bred to hunt waterfowl
2. a person who is servile; lackey

Word History and Origins

Origin of poodle¹

First recorded in 1770–75; from German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, equivalent to pudel(n) “to splash” + Hund “dog”; puddle, hound ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of poodle¹

C19: from German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, from pudeln to splash + Hund dog; the dogs were formerly trained as water dogs; see puddle , hound ¹

Example Sentences

On a late summer day, the home’s most striking feature was the figure of a white standard French poodle.

From Los Angeles Times

Judge Shaun Smith KC was told Gary wrongly told an emergency operator the Cane Corso was a poodle before police and paramedics were confronted by the "incredibly heavy" dog.

From BBC

An officer noticed two lethargic black poodles having trouble breathing, the report said.

From Los Angeles Times

During the war years, Sir Winston Churchill kept two cats, Nelson and Munich Mouser, and a poodle named Rufus at Downing Street.

From BBC

He paused to chat while walking his little white poodle in the city’s Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline Park.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beagle