collie

noun

col·​lie ˈkä-lē 

: any of a breed of large dogs developed in Scotland that occur in rough-coated and smooth-coated varieties and have erect ears and a long muzzle

Illustration of collie

Examples of collie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The border collie not only knows how to herd sheep, but also which sheep to herd with patience and which sheep need a bit more sharpness. — Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026

Ideal avalanche dogs are medium-sized with a high drive to hunt, often retrievers, shepherds, or collies. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026

Polly has met some families who seemed like solid matches, but the connections didn't turn out to be the right fit for the Great Pyrenees/collie mix. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026

Previously, an English bull terrier Border collie mix was melting hearts on social media. — Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect colly black

First Known Use

circa 1651, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing collie

• bearded collie
• border collie

Rhymes for collie

• akali
• bengali
• diwali
• loblolly
• naphtali
• nepali
• secale
• somali
• colley
• dolly
• folly
• golly

Kids Definition

collie

noun

col·​lie ˈkäl-ē 

: any of a breed of large dogs developed in Scotland for herding sheep