dogtrot

1 of 2

noun

dog·​trot ˈdȯg-ˌträt How to pronounce dogtrot (audio)
1
: a quick easy gait suggesting that of a dog
2
chiefly Southern US and Midland US : a roofed passage similar to a breezeway
especially : one connecting two parts of a cabin

dogtrot

2 of 2

verb

dogtrotted; dogtrotting; dogtrots

intransitive verb

: to move or progress at a dogtrot

Examples of dogtrot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Many of the old dogtrot homes and clapboard houses can be found around the state. Curtis Varnell The Timepiece, arkansasonline.com, 13 Oct. 2024 The sprawling, low-slung ranch-style home in Fredericksburg, about two hours outside of Austin, Texas, has two kitchens and a huge dogtrot. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 May 2024 The architecture of dogtrot houses was unique to their rural settings: Contemporary urban Southerners had smaller plots of land and as a result built tall, narrow houses like Charleston's single houses or New Orleans' shotgun houses. Maggie Burch, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023 Today While the main purpose of the dogtrot layout is not as necessary in the modern age, the feature is still a unique element that folks choose to incorporate into their homes. Maggie Burch, Southern Living, 6 Dec. 2023 The driver, without batting an eye at Berger and Cunningham, slowly drives straight toward moose number three, which stands its ground for a moment, then turns and begins running at a dogtrot, so to speak, up the road. Mark Wheeler, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 Characteristics of a dogtrot floor plan are a large, open breezeway that runs through the middle of a house, with two separate living areas on either side but still under one roof. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 June 2023 This Lowcountry retreat exemplifies the historical styling of a dogtrot floor plant. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 June 2023 From there, a guide will lead guests to the Yancey dogtrot home, where Southern secession leader William Lowndes Yancey – the man Abraham Lincoln held responsible for the Civil War – lived and died. From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dogtrot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dogtrot was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dogtrot

Cite this Entry

“Dogtrot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogtrot. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dogtrot

noun
dog·​trot
-ˌträt
: a gentle trot
dogtrot verb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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