corgi
Americannoun
-
corgis
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of corgi
1925–30; < Welsh, equivalent to cor dwarf + -gi, combining form of ci dog, cognate with Old Irish cú; see hound 1
Explanation
A corgi is a small dog with short legs, a fox-like head, and a big-dog attitude. Corgis were originally bred in Wales to guard and herd cattle. There are two corgi breeds, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Both are very low to the ground, with stubby legs, a long body, and upright ears. You can tell the difference between the two mainly by their tails: Cardigans have long tails, but Pembrokes' tails are naturally short or bobbed. These dogs started out as fierce livestock protectors, eventually becoming popular pets around the world. The word corgi comes from the Welsh roots cor, "dwarf," and ci, "dog."
Vocabulary lists containing corgi
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.
See Examples For:
A corgi shepherd mix went missing from its Northern California home in July and was found in Illinois.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
At least one corgi was called a pig.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
The pets—Mango, a corgi, and a cat named Fluffy—belonged to her before she and her ex moved in together, and she took them after they broke up, according to court filings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
The Queen's corgi, Sue, can be seen in the background.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2026
The two dogs are Lupin, a Boston terrier, and BeBop, a tricolor Welsh corgi.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Mejia, 35, known for his two corgis that he often features on billboards across Los Angeles, sought to retain his seat as the city’s accountant and auditor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia loves to show off his two corgis, displaying them on his social media accounts, his financial reports and his reelection campaign materials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
"It was an extremely competitive race and a well-deserved victory by lovely Juno but congratulation to all owners and their corgis who took part."
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2025
It was to the children’s writer and illustrator Tasha Tudor, known as much for her total commitment to living an 1830s lifestyle as for her watercolors of corgis and children.
From New York Times ● May 25, 2024
The dog who’d saved the Queen of England’s corgis?
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
