French bulldog

American

noun

one of a French breed of small, bat-eared dogs having a large, square head, a short tail, and a short, sleek coat.

French bulldog British

noun

a small stocky breed of dog with a sleek coat, usually brindled or pied, a large square head, and large erect rounded ears

"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

Etymology

Origin of French bulldog

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

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.

Play, a four-year-old French bulldog, waddled down the street in Noho.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Petersen, who has her own French bulldog named Festus, was unaware about Havoc’s story, but soon learned the pooch was about 100 miles away from his home in North Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

In Lisa's case, she had been on a walk with her terrier, Duke, in June when a French bulldog attacked him.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024

Do you want to watch the Doggfather meet a French bulldog . . . in France?

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2024

She makes extra money as a dog walker, and her main client is the French bulldog who lives across the hall from us.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins

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