Boston terrier

American

noun

one of an American breed of small, pug-faced, short-haired dogs having erect ears, a short tail, and a brindled or black coat with white markings.

Boston terrier British

noun

a short stocky smooth-haired breed of terrier with a short nose, originally developed by crossing the French and English bulldogs with the English bull terrier

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Boston terrier

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Boston terrier

When Louise Burns noticed that her dog Bow was breathing oddly in October 2023, she took the Boston terrier straight to the vet.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026

A Boston terrier squinted, her left eye cloudy and eyelids red.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2024

The next day, the dog’s owners brought in their second dog, another Boston terrier, who also tested positive for the virus.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024

No one ever noticed, except for a Boston terrier that eyed him curiously.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

The two dogs are Lupin, a Boston terrier, and BeBop, a tricolor Welsh corgi.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023