verb
Common
dug
duhg
Dug (verb) means the past tense and past participle of "dig". Example: “Yesterday the children dug a huge hole in the sand and filled it with seawater.”
verb
1
The past tense and past participle of "dig".
"Yesterday the children dug a huge hole in the sand and filled it with seawater."
"We have dug up all the potatoes, so the vegetable patch is empty now."
"The dog dug under the fence and escaped into the neighbour's garden."
noun
1
The udder, teat, or nipple of a female mammal.
"The farmer checked the cow's dugs for signs of soreness before milking."
"The kid goat nuzzled its mother's dug and began to drink."
"The piglets fought over their mother's dugs."
How to use dug
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA somewhat old-fashioned or coarse word for a mammal's teat.
When to use it
Mostly used of animals; applying it to a human is considered crude or archaic.
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Word forms
- Plural
- dugs
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Yesterday the children _____ a huge hole in the sand and filled it with seawater.
Etymology
This comes from earlier dugge (“pap, teat”; compare also English dialectal ducky, dukky, “the female breast”), apparently linked to Danish dægge (“to suckle”), Swedish dägga (“to suck”) and Old English dēon (“to suckle”). More at doe. Compare also doug.
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “dug” mean?
The word “dug” means the udder, teat, or nipple of a female mammal. In plain terms, a somewhat old-fashioned or coarse word for a mammal's teat.
How do you pronounce “dug”?
“Dug” is pronounced duhg (/dʌɡ/ in IPA).
How do you use “dug” in a sentence?
Here is “dug” used in a sentence: “The piglets fought over their mother's dugs.”
What part of speech is “dug”?
“Dug” is a noun.
Is “dug” a common word?
“Dug” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between dug as a past tense verb and dug as a noun?
Dug is most commonly the past tense of "dig," as in "she dug a hole." As a separate noun, dug refers to the udder, teat, or nipple of a female mammal, an older and now less common usage.
Is dug as a noun commonly used today?
No, the noun sense of dug referring to an animal's udder or teat is dated and rarely used in modern English, appearing mostly in older or dialectal writing.
