Adjacent Words

Terrier definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TER'RIER, n. A dog or little hound, that creeps into the ground after animals that burrow.
1. A lodge or hole where certain animals, as foxes, rabbits, badgers and the like, secure themselves.
2. Originally, a collection of acknowledgments of the vassals or tenants of a lordship, containing the rents and services they owed to the lord, etc.; at present, a book or roll in which the lands of private persons or corporations are described by their site, boundaries, number of acres, etc.
3. A wimble, auger or borer. [L. tero.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

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

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English terryer, terrer, from Anglo-French (chen) terrer, literally, earth dog, from terre earth, from Latin terra Date: 15th century 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a a small dog of various breeds originally used for turning out foxes etc. from their earths. b any of these breeds. 2 an eager or tenacious person or animal. 3 (Terrier) Brit. colloq. a member of the Territorial Army etc. Etymology: ME f. OF (chien) terrier f. med.L terrarius f. L terra earth 2. n. hist. 1 a book recording the site, boundaries, etc., of the land of private persons or corporations. 2 a rent-roll. 3 a collection of acknowledgements of vassals or tenants of a lordship. Etymology: ME f. OF terrier (adj.) = med.L terrarius liber (as TERRIER(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Terrier Ter"ri*er, n. [CF. L. terere to rub, to rub away, terebra a borer.] An auger or borer. [Obs.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Terrier Ter"ri*er, n. 1. [F. terrier, chien terrier, from terre the earth, L. terra; cf. F. terrier a burrow, LL. terrarium a hillock (hence the sense, a mound thrown up in making a burrow, a burrow). See Terrace, and cf. Terrier, 2.] (Zo["o]l.) One of a breed of small dogs, which includes several distinct subbreeds, some of which, such as the Skye terrier and Yorkshire terrier, have long hair and drooping ears, while others, at the English and the black-and-tan terriers, have short, close, smooth hair and upright ears. Note: Most kinds of terriers are noted for their courage, the acuteness of their sense of smell, their propensity to hunt burrowing animals, and their activity in destroying rats, etc. See Fox terrier, under Fox. 2. [F. terrier, papier terrier, LL. terrarius liber, i.e., a book belonging or pertaining to land or landed estates. See Terrier, 1, and cf. Terrar.] (Law) (a) Formerly, a collection of acknowledgments of the vassals or tenants of a lordship, containing the rents and services they owed to the lord, and the like. (b) In modern usage, a book or roll in which the lands of private persons or corporations are described by their site, boundaries, number of acres, or the like. [Written also terrar.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(terriers) A terrier is a small breed of dog. There are many different types of terrier. N-COUNT see also bull terrier, pit bull terrier