collie

American  

[kol-ee] / ˈkɒl i /

noun

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

• 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

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

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

June Lockhart, the perennial TV mom who consoled her son Timmy and his faithful pet collie in ‘Lassie’ and explained the galaxy to her children in ‘Lost in Space,’ has died.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

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

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2024

The border collie, who’s been enlisted to shoot daily videos for French TV, frolicked up and down the carpet ahead of the opening ceremony.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

Isaac was there to greet us, holding a pretty border collie by the collar.

From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff