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golden retriever

American  

noun

golden retrievers plural
  1. one of an English breed of retrievers having a thick, flat or wavy, golden coat.


golden retriever British  

noun

  1. a compact large breed of dog having a silky coat of flat or wavy hair of a gold or dark-cream colour, well-feathered on the legs and tail

"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

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of golden retriever

First recorded in 1915–20

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:

Every day, she walks to the main street with her golden retriever, Riley, and enjoys Pilates, art and good food along the way.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 10, 2026

In the photos released on social media on Sunday, she is also joined by her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, her brother James, and a golden retriever.

From BBC Jul. 5, 2026

The world’s largest type of rodent, actually; a capybara can easily rival a golden retriever in size.

From Slate May 27, 2026

Miller says she became a believer when her own aging golden retriever, Murphy, had arthritis and his medication stopped working.

From The Wall Street Journal May 17, 2026

For three years, Ellis thought of Jones Point as the ideal spot for he and his companion Sampson, a 9-year-old golden retriever, to fish and play.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

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