A pug nose is a short, slightly flattened nose with a turned-up tip.

When describing people, pug nose refers to a similar shape: short, with nostrils that may be more visible because the tip turns upward. Some famous boxers developed pug noses from years of their noses being hit and broken, which flattened them over time. In older books and stories, characters are sometimes described as having pug noses, usually as a simple physical detail rather than a criticism.

The phrase is meant to be descriptive, like saying someone has curly hair or brown eyes. Everyone's nose has a different shape, and a pug nose is just one variation among many. You might hear it used in character descriptions: “The detective had a pug nose and piercing blue eyes.”