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

Sheepdog Bowie, a collie and Australian Kelpie mix, has been farmer Thomas Conway's right-hand dog on his cattle and sheep farm in Park, County Londonderry, for the last four years.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

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

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2024

His Palm Dog collar was instead symbolically wrapped around a border collie named Stan that lacked the thespian’s piercing blue eyes.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

Among the most esteemed was Chaser, a border collie from South Carolina who could remember the names of more than 1,000 toys.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2024

The peasant and his collie were back behind the plow.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan