basset

¹ American  

[bas-it] / ˈbæs ɪt /

noun

1. one of a breed of hounds having short legs, long body and ears, and usually a black, tan, and white coat.

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basset ² American  

[bas-it] / ˈbæs ɪt /

noun

1. an outcrop, as of the edges of strata.

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verb (used without object)

basseted, basseting

1. to crop out.

basset ³ American  

[bas-it] / ˈbæs ɪt /

noun

1. an 18th-century card game similar to faro.

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basset ¹ British  

/ ˈbæsɪt /

noun

1. Also called: basset hound.  a long low smooth-haired breed of hound with short strong legs and long ears

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basset ² British  

/ ˈbæsɪt /

verb

1. a rare word for outcrop

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Etymology

Origin of basset¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from French: noun use of adjective basset “of low stature, short,” equivalent to bass- “low” + -et diminutive suffix; base ², -et )

Origin of basset²

First recorded in 1680–90; probably from obsolete French basset “low stool,” noun use of adjective basset; basset ¹

Origin of basset³

First recorded in 1635–45; from French bassette, from Italian bassetta, noun use of feminine of bassetto “somewhat low”; so called because the game is played with low cards; basset ¹

Example Sentences

He once described himself as “a basset hound with a 25-watt personality.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

But a petit basset griffon Vendéen took best in show for the first time last year, as did a bloodhound in 2022.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024

They got together at a cafe in Istanbul — a dog cafe, to be precise, where they were greeted at the door by a resident basset hound.

From New York Times • Apr. 29, 2024

They are doppelgangers, dead ringers with basset hound eyes a signature feature.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2023

Some days he saw mystery everywhere, in earthworms and holly trees and basset hounds, and the inexplicability of even the simplest life so angered and stupefied him that he almost resented any balancing elucidation.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Related Words

• beagle