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
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Zira was revealed to be 19 percent rottweiler, 16 percent Australian cattle dog, 14 percent pit bull terrier, 7 percent Siberian husky and 5 percent American Staffordshire terrier.
—
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Hard to see who will be able to resist this new feature from Come Play helmer Chase, told from the POV of a loyal terrier devoted to his new owner, Cameron (Quan) who discovers a captive girl (Reinhart) locked away in the basement, becoming her only hope for survival.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Thanks so much for submitting a question about your wheaten terriers.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
Verde, a rust and black colored Welsh terrier from the terrier group captured the second place prize, known as Reserve Best in Show.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Nov. 2024
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Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Hard to see who will be able to resist this new feature from Come Play helmer Chase, told from the POV of a loyal terrier devoted to his new owner, Cameron (Quan) who discovers a captive girl (Reinhart) locked away in the basement, becoming her only hope for survival.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Thanks so much for submitting a question about your wheaten terriers.
—Dr. Devon B. Smith, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2025
Verde, a rust and black colored Welsh terrier from the terrier group captured the second place prize, known as Reserve Best in Show.
—Jackie Northam, NPR, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrier
Dictionary Entries Near terrier
Cite this Entry
“Terrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrier. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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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