dogsbody
/ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/
"dogsbody" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“dogsbody” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who does menial work, a servant.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | dogsbody |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “dogsbody” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
dogsbody is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for dogsbody, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From dog + -s- + body. 1818, British navy slang (dog's body), originally derogatory reference to unappetizing pease pudding (compare dog's breakfast), as if it were made of mashed dog meat. In 20th century applied to low-ranked sailors, thence menial servan… The correct English form is dogsbody, spelled D-O-G-S-B-O-D-Y.
Definition
- 1A person who does menial work, a servant.
- 2Alternative form of dog's body (“pease pudding”)
Etymology
From dog + -s- + body. 1818, British navy slang (dog's body), originally derogatory reference to unappetizing pease pudding (compare dog's breakfast), as if it were made of mashed dog meat. In 20th century applied to low-ranked sailors, thence menial servants in wider usage.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “dogsbody”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-O-G-S-B-O-D-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.