spaniel

American  

[span-yuhl] / ˈspæn yəl /

noun

1. one of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized dogs, usually having a long, silky coat and long, drooping ears.

2. a submissive, fawning, or cringing person.

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spaniel British  

/ ˈspænjəl /

noun

1. any of several breeds of gundog with long drooping ears, a silky coat, and formerly a docked tail See clumber spaniel cocker spaniel field spaniel springer spaniel Sussex spaniel water spaniel

2. either of two toy breeds of spaniel See King Charles spaniel

3. an obsequiously devoted person

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Other Word Forms

• spaniellike adjective

Etymology

Origin of spaniel

1350–1400; Middle English spaynel < Old French espaignol Spanish (dog), derivative of Espaigne Spain

Example Sentences

It added that when a cocker spaniel was bred with a poodle, those characteristics - combined with them having smaller crossbred offspring - could result in more problem behaviour.

From BBC

"Labradors and spaniels aren't killed in these numbers - greyhounds deserve the same life that every other dog deserves."

From BBC

Rebecca Harvey's two spaniels, Clover and Flora, disappeared from their kennels in her family's garden in Little Maplestead in Essex on 30 October 2017.

From BBC

But when the four-year-old black and white spaniel came round, he ran off.

From BBC

Rob Holder, general manager at Clumber Park, said while the origins of the Clumber spaniel were not clear, they may have come from a kennel of prized spaniels gifted to the 2nd Duke.

From BBC