Labrador retriever

noun

Lab·​ra·​dor retriever ˈla-brə-ˌdȯr- How to pronounce Labrador retriever (audio)
: any of a breed of medium-sized strongly built retrievers largely developed in England from stock originating in Newfoundland and having a short dense black, yellow, or chocolate coat and a thick rounded tail

called also Lab, Labrador

Illustration of Labrador retriever

Illustration of labrador retriever

Examples of Labrador retriever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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German shepherds typically have the shortest wait time, golden retrievers have the longest and Labrador retrievers and Labrador/golden retrievers are in-between. Cody Godwin, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026 Zeus has a new live-in buddy, a young Labrador retriever named Cooper. Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 29 Jan. 2026 Fin, a golden retriever and Labrador retriever mix, is the pet of Domenic Biagini, the owner-operator of Gone Whale Watching San Diego, a small boat whale watching tour agency. Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026 Other breeds among the gifted dogs that participated in the study were a German shepherd, a Labrador retriever, a miniature Australian shepherd, a Blue Heeler and Australian Shepherd mix. Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026 Zuma, a 5-year-old Labrador retriever who’s an aquatic rescue pup. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026 Labrador Retriever The Labrador retriever, had a 31-year run as the most popular breed, according to the AKC's annual list. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025 The black Labrador retriever-mix probably just wanted to go for a little ocean swim. Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025 The black Labrador retriever-mix named Sadie, initially escaped from the home where her owners were staying in San Diego during a Sunday football game, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said. Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Labrador, Newfoundland

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Labrador retriever was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Labrador retriever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Labrador%20retriever. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

Labrador retriever

noun
Lab·​ra·​dor retriever ˌlab-rə-ˌdȯr- How to pronounce Labrador retriever (audio)
: any of a breed of strongly built retrievers having a broad head, a short dense black, yellow, or chocolate coat, and a thick rounded tail

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