Irish water spaniel

American

noun

one of an Irish breed of large water spaniels having a thick, curly, liver-colored coat, a topknot of long, loose curls, and a thin, tapering tail covered with short hair.

Irish water spaniel British

noun

a breed of dog used to hunt duck and having a dense coat of a purplish-liver colour that falls in tight ringlets covering the whole body except for the face 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

Etymology

Origin of Irish water spaniel

First recorded in 1880–85

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:

Irish water spaniel

The Irish water spaniel, wire fox terrier, Labrador, and basset hound also sport mugs that are scientifically proven to pull at our heartstrings.

From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2022

The Irish water spaniel, looking a bit nervous, has been sent away by the judge!

From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2020

The Irish water spaniel Gloi Donn All or Nothing at Stanegate, also known as Luther, for the actor Idris Elba, wins best gundog.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 23, 2019

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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