/poohd"l/ , n.
one of a breed of very active dogs, probably originating in Germany but regarded as the national dog of France, having long, thick, frizzy or curly hair usually trimmed in standard patterns, occurring in three varieties (standard, miniature, and toy) differing only in size, and originally used as a water retriever.
[ 1815-25; Pudel, short for Pudelhund, equiv. to pudel ( n ) to splash (see PUDDLE) + Hund HOUND 1 ]