collie

American

[kol-ee] / ˈkɒl i /

noun

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.

collie British

/ ˈkɒlɪ /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

collielike

adjective

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

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

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 has four felines but only Captain Crumpet walks with her and German shepherd/border collie cross Lexa May.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

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

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2024

“I wasn’t sure it was possible,” said Hornor, an agility trainer from Ellicott City, Maryland, who won the agility contest last year with a border collie named Truant.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

Looked like part collie, part a hundred other things.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

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