terrier

noun

ter·​ri·​er ˈter-ē-ər How to pronounce terrier (audio)
ˈte-rē-
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to dig for small game and engage the quarry underground or drive it out

Illustration of terrier

Illustration of terrier

Examples of terrier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The former isn’t exclusively a Christmas tradition, but a celebration of the town’s Scottish merchant founders that features a procession of kilt wearers with colorful tartans, pipe and drum bands, and terriers and hounds. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 While Keith took the elderly dogs — a papillon and a rat terrier — their mother could no longer look after, Cash volunteered to take care of her day-to-day needs. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 19 Jan. 2024 The neighbor, whose property abutted the preserve, was offering a generous reward, but no one believed the little terrier was coming back. Jessica Francis Kane, Harper's Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023 One woman brought her two Yorkshire terriers to have their tails snipped for $30 each. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2024 Petland's Smith said Mullins purchased the terrier on June 25, 2020, but didn't contact the store regarding any health issues with June until February 2021, eight months after purchasing the dog. Shahid Meighan, The Enquirer, 19 Jan. 2024 There will be six dogs with special needs, including pug terrier Riddle, who has the neurological condition cerebellar hypoplasia, and Mr. Bean, a papillon who has only two hind legs. Bryan Alexander, The Courier-Journal, 11 Jan. 2024 By analyzing its genes, scientists have now shown just how different these shaggy creatures were from the Yorkshire terriers and Newfoundland dogs that gallivant around modern neighborhoods. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 18 Dec. 2023 Enjoying their morning coffee with their shaggy terrier, George, David Coulter and Shelley Cushman have stacks of papers on their dining room table and a tote bag with even more on the floor. Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English terryer, terrer, from Anglo-French (chen) terrer, literally, earth dog, from terre earth, from Latin terra

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrier was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near terrier

Cite this Entry

“Terrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrier. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

terrier

noun
ter·​ri·​er ˈter-ē-ər How to pronounce terrier (audio)
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to drive game animals from their holes
Etymology

Middle English terryer "a small dog used for hunting burrowing animals," from early French (chen) terrer, literally "earth dog," from terre "earth," derived from Latin terra (same meaning)

Word Origin
Today most terriers are kept as pets. However, there was a time when the dogs were widely used for hunting. Terriers are usually small dogs with short legs, and they were used to dig game animals such as foxes, badgers, and weasels out of their holes. The dogs were also trained to go into a hole after a game animal and drive it out. The French name for these dogs was chen terrer, meaning "earth dog." English borrowed only the word terrier, which can be traced back to Latin terra, meaning "earth."

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