Mongrel has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
Noun
derogatory term for a variation that is not genuine; something irregular or inferior or of dubious origin
"the architecture was a kind of bastard suggesting Gothic but not true Gothic"
an inferior dog or one of mixed breed
Someone or something of mixed kind or uncertain origin, especially a dog.
Of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.
Mongrel comes from Middle English, where it combined words meaning "mixture" and a suffix used to express contempt. Its roots trace back to Old English for "mingling," which itself originated in the Proto-Germanic word for "mix.