mastiff

American  

[mas-tif, mah-stif] / ˈmæs tɪf, ˈmɑ stɪf /

noun

1. one of a breed of large, powerful, short-haired dogs having an apricot, fawn, or brindled coat.

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mastiff British  

/ ˈmæstɪf /

noun

1. an old breed of large powerful short-haired dog, usually fawn or brindle with a dark mask

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Etymology

Origin of mastiff

1300–50; Middle English mastif, perhaps extracted from Anglo-French masti ( n ) s (taken as *mastifs ), plural of Old French mastin < Vulgar Latin ( canis ) *ma ( n ) suētīnus, derivative of Latin mansuētus tame, mild ( see mansuetude)

Compare meaning

How does mastiff compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mastiff vs. bullmastiff

Example Sentences

Travelling the southern front we also saw British supplied Mastiff armoured vehicles damaged and destroyed.

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2023

Childers said the man had injuries consistent with an animal attack and two aggressive dogs — a German Shepherd and English Mastiff — were at the home.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2022

A male beagle is usually between 14 and 16 inches tall; a male English Mastiff can be as tall as 28 to 36 inches.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2022

Ashanti, whose breed is a member of the Mastiff family, tore at her heartstrings right away.

From Washington Times • Mar. 5, 2019

Unfortunately, he was indiscriminately bred from, with the result that in a very short time breeders found it impossible to find a Mastiff unrelated to him.

From Dogs and All about Them by Leighton, Robert