Meaning
A skinny, half-starved stray dog — and, figuratively, a down-and-out, neglected person, or someone treated with contempt. It lives in proverb: 'mawga dog turn him back when yuh gi him bone' (an ingrate rejects even help), and 'every mawga dog have him flea day / lucky day' (even the wretched get their turn). 'Mawga' means lean/skinny.
Examples
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A mawga dog wander up di lane.
A scrawny stray dog wandered up the lane.
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Dem treat him like a mawga dog.
They treated him like a worthless stray.
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Every mawga dog have him day.
Even the lowly get their day.
Origin
From 'mawga/maga' (meagre — lean, skinny) + 'dog'; rich in Jamaican proverb. See [[maga]], [[mongrel]].
How it’s used
A skinny stray dog; figuratively a down-and-out or scorned person. Proverbial. See [[maga]], [[mongrel]], [[yard-dog]].