noun / adjective
mongrel
MUNG-grul/ˈmʌŋɡrəl/
An animal, especially a dog, of mixed breeding.
The friendly mongrel at the shelter needs a new home.
Etymology
The underlying image is a mixture: the word named a dog descended from repeated crossings of different varieties. The suffix adds a disparaging tone to that mixed ancestry.
In context
a mongrel is as good a companion as any other dog
More examples
- Their mongrel dog has traits from several different breeds.
- We adopted two mongrels instead of buying purebred puppies.
- No one knows which breeds are in this little mongrel.
Forms
mongrel · mongrels
Similar words
- mutt
- An informal term used specifically for a mixed-breed dog.
- crossbreed
- Often identifies an animal bred from two distinct breeds.