foo dog

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Possibly a Western invention, from Mandarin 福 (fú, “good fortune”) + English dog. There is no similar word in Chinese itself that uses the word 福 (fú), but see English foo and Foo. Compare also Chinese 佛 (“Buddha”), pronounced fo or fu in some varieties.

Noun

foo dog (plural foo dogs)

  1. A stylized lion statue similar to those usually placed in male and female pairs outside imperial Chinese palaces, tombs, temples, etc.
  2. A Pekingese dog.

Synonyms

  • (Chinese lion statue): foo lion, guardian lion, stone lion; komainu (Japanese contexts)

Translations

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