# poodle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpuː.dəl/ · frequency rank #28,333

## Definitions
1. A breed of dog originating in Europe as hunting dogs, and having heavy, curly coat in a solid color; their shoulder height indicates their classification as standard, medium, miniature, or toy.
2. A person servile towards someone whom they consider their superior.

## Etymology
From German Pudel, a shortened form of Pudelhund, a compound of Hund (“dog”) and the German Low German term Pudel, Pūdel (“puddle”), from the onomatopoeic term pudeln (“to splash about”). First attested in 1773 in the noun sense 1.
The verb sense references the appearance a poodle with shaved legs, displaying its skin.

## Easily confused with
- **pool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-pool)
- **pools** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-pools)
- **Poole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-poole)
- **poorly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-poorly)
- **puddle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-puddle)
- **pooled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poodle-vs-pooled)
- **pole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pole-vs-poodle)
- **people** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/people-vs-poodle)
- **paddle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paddle-vs-poodle)
- **peddle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/peddle-vs-poodle)

## Common misspellings (8)
`opodle`, `podle`, `podole`, `pooddle`, `poodel`, `poodlle`, `poolde`, `ppoodle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/poodle