Saint Bernard

noun

Saint Ber·​nard -bər-ˈnärd 

variants or St. Bernard

: any of a Swiss alpine breed of tall powerful working dogs used especially formerly in aiding lost travelers

Illustration of Saint Bernard

Examples of Saint Bernard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Erik and Tiffany Binder live in Ohio and have a busy household, with their 16-month-old daughter, Lavender, and two giant 4-year-old Saint Bernard dogs. —Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025

By contrast, Drebin Jr. is more like a clumsy, aging Saint Bernard: a big, shambling man who wears a dour frown but can turn touchy-feely when the talk turns to romance, owls, or turkey dinners. —Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025

Cute Saint Bernard gets bit by a rabid bat, goes insane, starts attacking and killing people. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025

There was also an unofficial report of 11.5 inches of snow in Saint Bernard Parish east of the city. —Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

the hospice of Grand St. Bernard, where such dogs were first bred

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Saint Bernard

• bodyguard
• boulevard
• disregard
• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard

Kids Definition

Saint Bernard

noun

Saint Ber·​nard ˌsānt-bər-ˈnärd 

: any of a breed of large powerful dogs developed in the Swiss Alps and formerly used in aiding lost travelers