TERRIER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does terrier mean? 

• TERRIER (noun)
  The noun TERRIER has 1 sense:

1. any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground

  Familiarity information: TERRIER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TERRIER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("terrier" is a kind of...):

hunting dog (a dog used in hunting game)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "terrier"):

cairn; cairn terrier (small rough-haired breed of terrier from Scotland)

Lhasa; Lhasa apso (a breed of terrier having a long heavy coat raised in Tibet as watchdogs)

West Highland white terrier (small white long-coated terrier developed in Scotland)

soft-coated wheaten terrier (Irish breed of medium-sized terrier with an abundant coat any shade of wheat and very hairy head and muzzle)

Skye terrier (Scottish breed of terrier with shaggy hair and long low body with short legs; native to the Isle of Skye)

silky terrier; Sydney silky (Australian breed of toy dogs having a silky blue coat)

chrysanthemum dog; Tibetan terrier (breed of medium-sized terriers bred in Tibet resembling Old English sheepdogs with fluffy curled tails)

Scotch terrier; Scottie; Scottish terrier (old Scottish breed of small long-haired usually black terrier with erect tail and ears)

schnauzer (old German breed of sturdy black or greyish wire-haired terriers having a blunt muzzle ranging in size from fairly small to very large; used as ratters and guard dogs or police dogs)

Boston bull; Boston terrier (small pug-faced American terrier breed having a smooth brindle or black coat with white markings)

Dandie Dinmont; Dandie Dinmont terrier (a breed of small terrier with long wiry coat and drooping ears)

Australian terrier (small greyish wire-haired breed of terrier from Australia similar to the cairn)

bull terrier; bullterrier (a powerful short-haired terrier originated in England by crossing the bulldog with terriers)

Airedale; Airedale terrier (breed of large wiry-coated terrier bred in Yorkshire)

wire-haired terrier; wirehair; wirehaired terrier (a terrier with wiry hair)

fox terrier (small lively black-and-white terriers formerly used to dig out foxes)

rat terrier; ratter (any of several breeds of terrier developed to catch rats)

Yorkshire terrier (very small breed having a long glossy coat of bluish-grey and tan)

Norwich terrier (English breed of small short-legged terrier with a straight wiry red or grey or black-and-tan coat and erect ears)

Norfolk terrier (English breed of small terrier with a straight wiry grizzled coat and dropped ears)

Irish terrier (medium-sized breed with a wiry brown coat; developed in Ireland)

Kerry blue terrier (an Irish breed of medium-sized terriers with a silky blue-grey coat)

Border terrier (small rough-coated terrier of British origin)

Bedlington terrier (a light terrier groomed to resemble a lamb)

 Context examples 

The Kerry Blue Terrier is a well-built, muscular, medium-sized dog with true terrier style and character.

(Kerry Blue Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

The Miniature Bull Terrier is a bull terrier with a height of 10-14 inches and a weight up to 24-33 pounds.

(Miniature Bull Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

The Irish Terrier is a medium-sized, well-proportioned terrier with long whiskers, a bearded muzzle with powerful jaws, and bushy eyebrows.

(Irish Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

The Border Terrier is small terrier with a coarse, wiry double coat and small ears, which fold forward into a "V" shape.

(Border Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

One sequence followed the same ABA pattern (terrier, setter, terrier); the other followed a new AAB pattern (terrier, terrier, setter).

(Infants Are Able to Learn Abstract Rules Visually, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

It is a smaller version of a working terrier.

(Affenpinscher, NCI Thesaurus)

The Airedale Terrier is a large terrier with a harsh wiry coat, long flat head, and a deep chest.

(Airedale Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

The German Pinscher, also called the Standard Pinscher, is a medium-sized, tall terrier with a smooth, glossy coat that comes in red fawn, black and tan, and dark brown with yellow markings.

(German Pinscher, NCI Thesaurus)

The Basenji is a small, elegant, athletic dog about the size of a fox terrier, with a smooth shiny coat of copper, red, black and tan, black and brindle.

(Basenji, NCI Thesaurus)

Indeed, his whole manner, with his short, sharp glance and the fine poise of the head, spoke of energy and alertness, so that he reminded me, if I may compare great things with small, of a well-bred fighting terrier, gentle and slim, but keen and ready for whatever chance might send.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)