sheepdog

noun

sheep·​dog ˈshēp-ˌdȯg How to pronounce sheepdog (audio)
: a dog (such as a border collie) used to tend, drive, or guard sheep

Examples of sheepdog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The show — which also featured a massive sheepdog named Ladadig — wasn’t a big hit, not making the year-end Top 30 in the three-network universe, but was popular in reruns in the 1970s. Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2025 The family lived in a home that resembled a castle, and their giant sheepdog, Ladadog, created lots of mayhem. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 15 Sep. 2025 Jango, a six-and-a-half-year-old mix of bluetick coonhound, treeing walker coonhound, cattle dog, and Shetland sheepdog, was adopted from a shelter in southern Indiana just before the pandemic hit. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Aug. 2025 In this context the sheepdog is an intelligent, non-human actor helping the human to solve a complex problem – which is what AI does. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sheepdog

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheepdog was circa 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Sheepdog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheepdog. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

sheepdog

noun
sheep·​dog ˈshēp-ˌdȯg How to pronounce sheepdog (audio)
: a dog used to tend, drive, or guard sheep

More from Merriam-Webster on sheepdog

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