beagle Meaning & Definition
What Does Beagle Mean?
Beagle is used as a noun meaning A small short-legged smooth-coated scenthound, often tricolored and sometimes used for hunting hares. Its friendly disposition makes it suitable as a family pet. It can also mean A person who snoops on others; a detective. As a verb, it means To hunt with beagles.
Beagle in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /t/ |
| Plural | beagles |
| Verb forms | beagles, beagling, beagled |
Beagle Definition (Noun)
- A small short-legged smooth-coated scenthound, often tricolored and sometimes used for hunting hares. Its friendly disposition makes it suitable as a family pet.
- A person who snoops on others; a detective.
- A bailiff.
- A small kind of shark.
Beagle as a Verb
- To hunt with beagles.
- To search.
Synonyms of Beagle
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Beagle synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
beagle (plural beagles)
beagle (third-person singular simple present beagles, present participle beagling, simple past and past participle beagled)
Words That Rhyme With Beagle
Origin of Beagle
Origin 1: Inherited from Middle English *begel (attested in the plural begles), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Middle French beegueule (“one who keeps their mouth open”), whence modern French bégueule (“a colloquial insult said to women of low status and accused of stupidity, who always have their mouths gaped or open; a prude”); from Old French beer, bayer (“to gape, gawk”) + Old French gueule (“gullet”). The modern French bigle (“beagle”) however is a borrowing from the English.[1]
Origin 2: Alternatively, a modification of Middle English bedel (“beadle”) in the sense of "constable, detective". The change of /t/, /d/ to /k/, /ɡ/ before /l/ is common; compare hurkle, variant of hurtlen (“to hurtle”), and in Modern English, huckleberry, turkle (“turtle”), and stickle.
Questions People Ask About Beagle
Is beagle a noun or a verb?
Beagle is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of beagle?
The plural of beagle is beagles.
What is the past tense of beagle?
The past tense of beagle is beagled. The present participle is beagling.