dogsbody
/ˈdɔɡz.bɑ.di/noun, verb
dogsbody is spelled D-O-G-S-B-O-D-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 43 million words in written English, the 201,693rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dogsbody means “A person who does menial work, a servant” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dogsbody is dogsbodies.
How many letters and syllables are in dogsbody?
| Letters | 8: D-O-G-S-B-O-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 43 million words; the 201,693rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is dogsbody?
Dogsbody appears about once in every 43 million words in written English, the 201,693rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dogsbody?
- UK /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/
- US /ˈdɔɡz.bɑ.di/
- US /ˈdɑɡz.bɑ.di/
Dogsbody has 3 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-dogsbody.ogg, En-au-dogsbody.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dogsbody
- dogsbodies plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- dogsbodying participle, present
- dogsbodied participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dogsbody mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
IrelandUKA person who does menial work, a servant.
- 2
Alternative form of dog's body (“pease pudding”)
verb
- 1
To act as a dogsbody, to do menial work
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dogsbody in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Person who does menial work:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | larbin, petite main |
| German | Handlanger, Diener, Scherge |
| Spanish | mandado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dogsbody come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).