plural dawgs
1
used as a facetious spelling of dog in various senses
in the dawg house
hamburgers and dawgs with all the fixings
… the recent spat between Felicity's friend Elena … and her two-timin' dawg of a boyfriend …Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 1999
2
slang : man, buddy, dude
used especially as a familiar form of address
It'll make you a lot stronger, spendin' your summers harvestin' watermelons with crackheads at $20 a truckload, hiding your money from them at night. That was the highest-paying job I had before my $49 million one with the Colts, and it helped shape me, dawg.Edgerrin James, ESPN, 4 Sept. 2000

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dawg was in 1898

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near dawg

Cite this Entry

“Dawg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dawg. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!