dawg

• IPA^(key): /dɔːɡ/
• (US, Canada) IPA^(key): /dɑːɡ/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔːɡ

dawg (plural dawgs)

1. Eye dialect spelling of dog.

   That dawg won't hunt.

2. (slang) Dude, bud, pal, used to address a close male friend.

   Sup, dawg.

• See also Thesaurus:friend

• Wikipedia article on the cot-caught merger in various English dialects

Using this spelling of dog emphasizes dialect and should only be done if this is explicitly intended (or if one is trying to distinguish meaning, such as between the term of address and the animal). Every example above could also be written with dog, de-emphasizing dialect.

• Gawd, gawd