noun
poodle
POO-duhl
noun
1
A breed of dog with a thick, curly coat, bred originally for hunting and known for its intelligence.
"Their poodle had just been groomed and looked immaculate."
2
A person who acts servile or overly obedient toward someone seen as superior.
"Critics called the minister a poodle of the larger party."
How to Use Poodle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA curly-coated dog breed; also used to insult someone as being too obedient to a more powerful figure.
Common pairings
standard poodle
toy poodle
act like a poodle
Word Forms
poodled past tense, poodles plural, poodles singular
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Etymology
From German Pudel, short for Pudelhund, referring to the way the dog splashes in water.