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Jack Russell

British  

noun

  1. Also called: Jack Russell terrier.  a small short-legged terrier having a white coat with tan, black, or lemon markings: there are rough- and smooth-haired varieties

"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 Jack Russell

named after John Russell (1795–1883), English clergyman who developed the breed

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:

“But come on, man, a Jack Russell terrier on a raft? Does it get better than that? I don’t know.”

From Los Angeles Times May 27, 2026

Names of royal and broadcaster-owned dogs are etched into brick paths – including the late Beth, the Queen's Jack Russell, her new puppy Moley and the King's dog Snuff.

From BBC May 19, 2025

If you think of a Jack Russell and a Labrador, let's say that it needed a Jack Russell.

From Salon Apr. 18, 2024

The breeding of beagles, Jack Russell terriers and miniature schnauzers could also be affected, as well as of dogs with short noses, like the English bulldog, French bulldog and pug.

From New York Times Mar. 28, 2024

We fought over who got to sleep with the dogs—Tinkle, the Jack Russell terrier, and Pippin, a curly-haired mutt who had wandered down through the woods one day—because they kept us warm.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

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