Illustration of terrier
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to dig for small game and engage the quarry underground or drive it out
Examples of terrier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brown made his film directorial debut with the 2005 documentary Off the Chain, which explored the widespread abuse of American pit bull terriers.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
The dogs, part of a Havanese and Biewer terrier breeding scheme, were found in a home that officials said smelled of ammonia and feces.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
This frenzy unfolded into a succession of rings, like craps tables at a casino, in which breed competitions were taking place simultaneously—churning packs of basenjis, salukis, Xoloitzcuintlis, whippets, shih tzus, rat terriers, malamutes, and pugs.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Franco, an energetic pit bull terrier mix, came bouncing back from his second walk of the day, leading walker Ashley Smith back to the shelter.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrier
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
The dogs, part of a Havanese and Biewer terrier breeding scheme, were found in a home that officials said smelled of ammonia and feces.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
This frenzy unfolded into a succession of rings, like craps tables at a casino, in which breed competitions were taking place simultaneously—churning packs of basenjis, salukis, Xoloitzcuintlis, whippets, shih tzus, rat terriers, malamutes, and pugs.
—Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Franco, an energetic pit bull terrier mix, came bouncing back from his second walk of the day, leading walker Ashley Smith back to the shelter.
—Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for terrier
Cite this Entry
“Terrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrier. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrier
noun
ter·ri·er
ˈter-ē-ər 
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to drive game animals from their holes
Etymology
Middle English terryer "a small dog used for hunting burrowing animals," from early French (chen) terrer, literally "earth dog," from terre "earth," derived from Latin terra (same meaning)
Word Origin
Today most terriers are kept as pets. However, there was a time when the dogs were widely used for hunting. Terriers are usually small dogs with short legs, and they were used to dig game animals such as foxes, badgers, and weasels out of their holes. The dogs were also trained to go into a hole after a game animal and drive it out. The French name for these dogs was chen terrer, meaning "earth dog." English borrowed only the word terrier, which can be traced back to Latin terra, meaning "earth."
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