Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries

mongrel

- 5 dictionary results

mon⋅grel

  [muhng-gruhl, mong-]
Use mongrel in a Sentence
–noun
1. a dog of mixed or indeterminate breed.
2. any animal or plant resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties.
3. any cross between different things, esp. if inharmonious or indiscriminate.
–adjective
4. of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME (once): heraldic term for a type of dog; equiv. to mong(e) mixture (OE gemang; cf. mingle ) + -rel

Related forms:
mon⋅grel⋅ism, mon⋅grel⋅ness, noun
mon⋅grel⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. mutt. 2. cross, half-breed. See hybrid.

Antonyms:
2. thoroughbred, purebred.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To mongrel
mon·grel   (mŭng'grəl, mŏng'-)   
n.  
  1. An animal or a plant resulting from various interbreedings, especially a dog of mixed or undetermined breed.
  2. A cross between different breeds, groups, or varieties, especially a mixture that is or appears to be incongruous.
adj.  Of mixed origin or character.

[Middle English, probably from mong, mixture, from Old English gemang; see mag- in Indo-European roots.]
mon·grel'ism n., mon'grel·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Mongrel

Mon"grel\, n. [Prob. shortened fr. mongrel, and akin to AS. mengan to mix, and E. mingle. See Mingle.] The progeny resulting from a cross between two breeds, as of domestic animals; anything of mixed breed. --Drayton.

Mongrel

Mon"grel\, a. 1. (Zo["o]l.) Not of a pure breed.

2. Of mixed kinds; as, mongrel language.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : mongrel
Spanish: mestizo,
German: der Mischling,
Japanese: 雑種(の)
More Translations »

mongrel 
1486, "mixed breed dog," from obs. mong "mixture," from O.E. gemong "mingling" (base of among), from P.Gmc. *mong- "mix." With pejorative suffix (cf. wastrel). Meaning "person not of pure race" is from 1542.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see mongrel on Thesaurus | Reference
>