Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A lackey; a lapdog; an unprincipled person who helps or flatters other, more powerful and often evil people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Calque of Chinese 走狗 (zǒugǒu, “running dog”) (see also 狗腿子 (gǒutuǐzi) and 狗腿 (gǒutuǐ)), used as an insult by the governments of the People's Republic of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (주구/走狗 (jugu)) against those supportive of the great imperialist powers, variously including Russia and the United States. Though earlier use of the figurative sense of Chinese 走狗 dates back at least to the 18th century.
Across languages
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
