cocker spaniel

American

noun

one of a breed of small spaniels having a flat or slightly waved, soft, dense coat of any of several colors.

cocker spaniel British

noun

a small compact breed of spaniel having sleek silky fur, a domed head, and long fringed ears

"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 cocker spaniel

First recorded in 1825–30; cocker ¹ ( def. ) + spaniel ( def. ),

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.

Your cocker spaniel could have won the NFC East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

The couple, from Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, brought Leah's mum's cockapoo Bear and her brother's cocker spaniel Lola to Henrhyd Falls.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Until May 2022, Illia lived in Vinnytsia, central Ukraine, with his parents and their now 11-year-old cocker spaniel Simba.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2025

She and Davis have flaunted their love on Instagram with Valentine’s Day posts and photo shoots with her cocker spaniel Harley.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024

The cocker spaniel was sneaking up on him from one side, Lurvy the hired man was sneaking up on him from the other side.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White

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