Great Dane

American

noun

one of a breed of large, powerful, shorthaired dogs ranging in color from fawn to brindle, blue, black, or white with black spots.

Great Dane British

noun

one of a very large powerful yet graceful breed of dog with a short smooth coat

"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 Great Dane

First recorded in 1765–75

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.

My little office where I write and hang out with my two dogs—a Great Dane and a rescued dachshund.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

Greg Louganis petting his 2 Great Dane dogs while lying in grass in 1996.

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2024

This immediately summons for me an image from “The Friend” in which the protagonist uses a child’s pail and shovel to clean up after the Great Dane she has been tasked to care for.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2023

Whether your housemate is a Great Dane or a Maine coon cat, when it comes to design, Pelletier notes, “The only limit is your imagination.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 24, 2023

A month after Melina was put to sleep, my father returned to the breeder and came home with another Great Dane.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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