collie

American  

[kol-ee] / ˈkɒl i /

noun

• collies
  plural

1. one of a breed of dogs having a usually long, black, tan, and white or sable and white coat, raised originally in Scotland for herding sheep.

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collie British  

/ ˈkɒlɪ /

noun

1. any of several silky-coated breeds of dog developed for herding sheep and cattle See Border collie rough collie bearded collie

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• collielike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• collies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of collie

1645–55; perhaps Scots colle coal (in reference to the original coloration of the breed) + -ie; compare Middle English Colle dog's name

Compare meaning

How does collie compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Shetland sheepdog vs. collie

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

collie collies

Florsheim has two dogs: Leo, a two-year-old German shepherd he calls “a bit of a handful,” and Rosie, a six-year-old border collie mix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

"She's been absolutely amazing," says Amanda Cook as she strokes the fluffy head of Florrie, a border collie and bearded collie cross.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Runner-Up: I also let Instagram totally inundate me with border collie videos.

From Slate ● Dec. 28, 2024

She jumped out of bed in her nightgown, chased after her 10-year-old border collie, Henry Valentine, and ran to her car in a pair of sandals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2024

Throughout the collie and shepherd years we kept a succession of drowsy, secretive cats that seemed to enjoy a unique bond with our mother.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

The couple's own border collies, Odín and Kun-kun, have taken part in several of their research projects - including this one.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

The most remarkable of the test cases seen in this very entertaining program are Australian shepherds and border collies, which are known for their intelligence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026

While researching bloodlines on a quest for the ideal canine dance partner, she found via social media the Empire of Fire kennel in Poland, whose border collies matched her specifications.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2024

So far, almost all the agility championships have gone to border collies, and nearly all the obedience titles to Labs.

From Washington Times ● May 5, 2023

He saw collies, boxers, terriers, Labradors and combinations thereof.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy