dachshund

noun

dachs·​hund ˈdäks-ˌhu̇nt  -ˌhu̇nd 

ˈdäk-sənt;

 especially British  ˈdak-sənd

: any of a breed of long-bodied, short-legged dogs of German origin that occur in short-haired, long-haired, and wirehaired varieties

Illustration of dachshund

Examples of dachshund in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lost dogs rarely capture international attention, but the world has watched and waited for updates on the search for Valerie, a miniature dachshund missing in the Australian wilderness. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

About 50 dogs of different breeds, such as dachshunds and St. Bernards, listened to the recordings in a room with their owners' backs to them. —Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025

Sitting on top of the bottom tier was a peekaboo puppy, a figurine of the couple's English cream dachshund named Tony. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025

But roughly a year after Valerie went missing, reports started coming in of a small dachshund on Kangaroo Island, wearing a pink collar. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German, from Dachs badger + Hund dog

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dachshund

noun

dachs·​hund ˈdäks-ˌhu̇nt  ˈdäk-sənt 

: any of a breed of dogs of German origin with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears

Etymology

from German Dachshund "dachshund," literally, "badger dog," from Dachs "badger" and Hund dog

Word Origin

The dachshund is a dog with short legs and a long history. The breed was developed in Germany more than a thousand years ago to hunt burrowing animals such as badgers. With its short legs and long, powerful body, the dachshund could follow a badger right down into its hole. It could even fight with the badger underground. The German name for the breed was Dachshund, a compound of Dachs, meaning "badger," and Hund, "dog." This German name was borrowed directly into English.