noun
dingo
DIHNG-goh
noun
1
A wild dog native to Australia.
"A dingo trotted along the dry riverbed at dusk."
2
Australian slang: a cowardly or treacherous person.
"Don't be a dingo and bail on us the night before the trip."
verb
1
Australian slang: to back out of an agreement or let someone down.
"He dingoed on the deal at the last minute."
How to Use Dingo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAustralia's iconic wild dog, or, in slang, someone who cowardly backs out of a commitment.
When to use it
The slang senses are informal and mainly used in Australian English.
Word Forms
dingoed past tense, dingos plural, dingoes plural, dingoes singular
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A _____ trotted along the dry riverbed at dusk.
Etymology
Borrowed from Dharug "dingu", meaning a tame or domesticated dingo.