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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.

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

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

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 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 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