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Dog (d&obreve;g), n. [AS. docga;
akin to D. dog mastiff, Dan. dogge, Sw. dogg.]
1. (Zoöl.) A quadruped of the genus
Canis, esp. the domestic dog (C. 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 beagle, bloodhound, bulldog,
coachdog, collie, Danish dog, foxhound, greyhound, mastiff, pointer,
poodle, St. Bernard, setter, spaniel, spitz dog, terrier, 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.)
2. A mean, worthless fellow; a
wretch.
What is thy servant, which is but a dog, that
he should do this great thing? 2 Kings viii. 13
(Rev. Ver. )
3. A fellow; -- used humorously or
contemptuously; as, a sly dog; a lazy dog.
[Colloq.]
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).
5. An iron for holding wood in a fireplace; a
firedog; an andiron.
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.
&fist; 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.
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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.),
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 (Zoöl.),
a salmon of northwest America and northern Asia; -- the
gorbuscha; -- called also holia, and hone.
-- Dog shark. (Zoöl.) 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
(Zoöl.), any species of univalve shells of the family
Nassidæ, esp. the Nassa reticulata of
England. -- To give, or 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.
Dog (?), 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.
I have been pursued, dogged, and
waylaid. Pope.
Your sins will dog you, pursue
you. Burroughs.
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.
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