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.

See Examples For:

Great Dane

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

Cabrera-Miller, who owns a Great Dane named Scooby, says his dog would lunge at the large cat if given the chance to.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2024

They call him The Great Dane because he looks like a dog, not because he is Danish.

From Salon ● Jul. 16, 2023

The second, he had been attempting to pay a dog groomer for giving his Great Dane a trim.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 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