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

Then came dachshunds, bulldogs, beagles, Rottweilers and German shorthaired pointers. —CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024

The 17-year-old dachshund died two days before Christmas. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024

The most beloved vineyard worker isn’t a diver or a wine hand, but a hard hair dachshund named Baba. —Zenger News, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023

Every so often, labradoodles, cocker spaniels, retrievers, dachshunds and their owners trotted by the aperture of the shack’s open door. —Susan Dominus, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

Miniature dachshunds, for instance, which are both small and long-nosed, had a median lifespan of 14 years, compared to just 9.8 years for French bulldogs, which are medium-sized dogs with flat noses. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024

That’s up there with Shiba Inus (14.6), papillons (14.5), miniature dachshunds and Italian greyhounds (14). —Amanda Schupak, CNN, 3 Feb. 2024

Those with dachshunds and other short-legged breeds found the cone was too close to the ground and limited their pet’s movements. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Rothman was a watch collector, food connoisseur, devoted family man and a lover of dogs, especially his dachshund of 18 years, Bubu, and his grand-dog Champ. —Brent Lang, Variety, 29 Dec. 2023

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.