mongrel

Etymology

From Middle English mongrel, equivalent to mong (“mixture”) + -rel (pejorative diminutive); from Old English ġemang (“mingling”) (whence Modern English among), from Proto-Germanic *mang- (“mix”). The irregular development of /ʌ/ in this word is also paralleled by among and monger.

noun

1. (often derogatory) Someone or something of mixed kind or uncertain origin, especially a dog.
   That dog is a mongrel; who knows what breed it could be!
   America is an improbable idea. A mongrel nation built of ever-changing disparate parts, it is held together by a notion, the notion that all men are created equal, though everyone knows that most men consider themselves better than someone. 2001-09-26, Anna Quindlen, “A Quilt of a Country”, in Newsweek
2. (slang, Australia, New Zealand) A thuggish, obnoxious, or contemptible person; (often preceded by "poor") a pitiable person.
   "Yanto bloody Evans!" Jack stuttered with rage. "Yanto bloody Evans! That... that... bloody mongrel! D'you know who he is? He's the one who knocked me back for a bit of extra timber before the roof fell in on me!" 2008, Jim Brigginshaw, Over My Dead Body, page 77
   But somebody's got to tell these mums and dads why their kids died, why this mongrel thinks he can wipe them out like a dirty rag. 27 October 2019, Natalie Wolfe, “Australia's worst serial killer's affairs with sisters-in-laws”, in New Zealand Herald
3. (slang, Australia) An erect penis; an erection.

adj

1. Of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.
   English spelling is often regarded as confusing and unpredictable due to the mongrel nature of our tongue.