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

Nearly a week later, Scott and Kodi Allred, a couple traveling to visit their son at the University of Northern Colorado, saw the frightened black dachshund darting along the same stretch of road near Elk Mountain. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025

My pet dachshund is slightly overweight. —Judith Martin, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

The mini dachshund tries to keep up as much as possible. —Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2025

The dachshund ended up hilariously opting to balance both eating and barking in a somewhat even rhythm. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 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.