foo dog
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.33 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A stylized lion statue similar to those usually placed in male and female pairs outside imperial Chinese palaces, tombs, temples, etc.
noun
Alternative letter-case form of foo dog
Example Sentences
- "Passing to the central medallion, yet a new element confronts us in the Foo dogs, of which several are employed, somewhat crowded, and confused by reason of their coloring, which, nevertheless, is good and, so far as balance is concerned, well distributed."
- "In the revival of Buddhism during Tang times (618–907), all Buddhist temples were protected by a pair of these stone lions. Eventually Foo dogs became popular at the entryways of homes, gardens, and places of business. Traditionally the Foo dogs were somewhat austere, unpainted stone sculptures meant to frighten away evil spirits. Gradually they became more colorful, doglike, and somewhat playful."
Etymology
Word Breakdown
- Root: 福