Old English
noun
1
a
: the language of the English people from the time of the earliest documents in the seventh century to about 1100 see Indo-European Languages Table
b
: English of any period before Modern English
2
Examples of Old English in a Sentence
Old English is very different from modern English.
Recent Examples on the Web
Of the final contenders—Zaida the Afghan hound, Cookie the Maltese, JJ the Lhasa apso, Graham the Old English sheepdog, Cota the Chesapeake Bay retriever, Penny the Doberman pinscher, and Wager the smooth fox terrier—four-year-old Penny was crowned the year’s top dog.
—
Poupay Jutharat, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
The golden retriever and Labrador retrievers, popular pets who have never won Best in Show, were fan favorites, as were a Sussex spaniel named Goober and one of the Best in Show competitors, an Old English sheepdog named Graham.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
Ozempic for Old English Sheepdogs?
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
The cafe is also dog-friendly and even has its own mascot, Gurumi, the owner’s Old English Sheepdog.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Others speculated that Bowie could have Old English Sheepdog in his genes, while many simply focused on his cuteness.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Addressing this through the framework of crime fiction—laced with surreal doses of Old English and Celtic folklore—produces a fascinating hybrid that is Miller’s alone.
—Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
The Old English name has continued to rise in popularity since then, reaching its peak in 2014.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 8 Aug. 2025
Hair-raising accounts of a similar sea monster were recorded by Alexandrian scribes as early as the second century A.D.; these accounts spread through Europe and Asia in Arabic, Coptic, Latin and Old English translations.
—Nina Goldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
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Poupay Jutharat, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2026
The golden retriever and Labrador retrievers, popular pets who have never won Best in Show, were fan favorites, as were a Sussex spaniel named Goober and one of the Best in Show competitors, an Old English sheepdog named Graham.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 4 Feb. 2026
Ozempic for Old English Sheepdogs?
—Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
The cafe is also dog-friendly and even has its own mascot, Gurumi, the owner’s Old English Sheepdog.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Others speculated that Bowie could have Old English Sheepdog in his genes, while many simply focused on his cuteness.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Addressing this through the framework of crime fiction—laced with surreal doses of Old English and Celtic folklore—produces a fascinating hybrid that is Miller’s alone.
—Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 23 Aug. 2025
The Old English name has continued to rise in popularity since then, reaching its peak in 2014.
—Marilyn La Jeunesse, Parents, 8 Aug. 2025
Hair-raising accounts of a similar sea monster were recorded by Alexandrian scribes as early as the second century A.D.; these accounts spread through Europe and Asia in Arabic, Coptic, Latin and Old English translations.
—Nina Goldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Old English.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Old%20English. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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