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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Dynamic but calm and composed on the ball, Anderson is an all-round midfielder who is capable of winning back possession and getting Forest on the front foot; a technically gifted terrier.
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Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
In London, a 20-year-old Alexander Graham Bell tried out some of his lifelong language experiments on the family terrier, Trouve.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
The croupier, a large terrier wearing a toupee, almost seemed amused.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
Seven winners over the past two decades have been terriers.
—Analis Bailey, Axios, 28 Nov. 2024
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Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
In London, a 20-year-old Alexander Graham Bell tried out some of his lifelong language experiments on the family terrier, Trouve.
—Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
The croupier, a large terrier wearing a toupee, almost seemed amused.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
Seven winners over the past two decades have been terriers.
—Analis Bailey, Axios, 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 16 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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