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

The Norco garage where Abruzzo delivered the Boston terrier in 2021 belonged to Matthews, according to property and court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2024

The death of their beloved Boston terrier, Charlie, was a driver in the decision.

From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2023

Gin Koo, 36, braved the cold to take his Boston terrier, Bee, out for a necessary walk.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2023

The hand-tinted photographs in the hallway, the needlepoint pillows on the sofa, the ever-changing grocery list stuck to the refrigerator under a magnet in the shape of a Boston terrier.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

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