dog-eared \dog"-eared`\, a.
   1. having the corners of the leaves turned down and soiled by
      careless or long-continued usage; -- said of a book; as,
      an old book with dog-eared pages.

   note: making a page dog-eared is sometimes done deliberately
         to mark a location in a book.
         1913 webster

               statute books before unopened, not dog-eared.
                                                  --ld.
                                                  mansfield.
         1913 webster

   2. worn down, shabby.

   syn: eared.
        wordnet 1.5

dog-eared
     adj : worn or shabby from overuse or of pages from having
           corners turned down; "a somewhat dog-eared duke...a bit
           run down"-clifton fadiman; "an old book with dog-eared
           pages" syn: eared
see also:
eared