doge

noun

ˈdōj How to pronounce doge (audio)
: the chief magistrate in the republics of Venice and Genoa

Did you know?

Slang Meaning of Doge

An intentional misspelling of dog, doge is an Internet meme involving a picture of a Shiba Inu dog captioned with humorously ungrammatical phrases. The word can also refer to a cryptocurrency, or to a ‘government efficiency’ task force. Learn more >

Examples of doge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Titian had already painted emperors, kings, doges and popes. — Washington Post, 20 July 2023 This, the former home of a 14th-century doge (plus two more modern annexes), is the Venetian grande dame par excellence. — Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2021

Word History

Etymology

Italian dialect, from Latin duc-, dux leader — more at duke

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of doge was in 1549

Rhymes for doge

See All Rhymes for doge

Browse Nearby Words

dogdom
doge
dog-ear
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doge. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

doge

noun
ˈdōj How to pronounce doge (audio)
: the chief magistrate in the former republics of Venice and Genoa

More from Merriam-Webster on doge

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about doge

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name that thing flower edition
Name That Flower Can you tell the difference between a lilac and a...
See All