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Labrador

American  
[lab-ruh-dawr] / ˈlæb rəˌdɔr /

noun

Labradors plural
  1. a peninsula in northeastern North America surrounded by Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, containing the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Quebec. 510,000 sq. mi. (1,320,900 sq. km).

  2. the portion of Newfoundland in the eastern part of the peninsula. About 120,000 sq. mi. (310,800 sq. km).

  3. Labrador retriever.


Labrador British  
/ ˈlæbrəˌdɔː /

noun

  1. Also called: Labrador-Ungava.  a large peninsula of NE Canada, on the Atlantic, the Gulf of St Lawrence, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay: contains most of Quebec and the mainland part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador; geologically part of the Canadian Shield. Area: 1 619 000 sq km (625 000 sq miles)

  2. Also called: Coast of Labrador.  a region of NE Canada, on the Atlantic and consisting of the mainland part of Newfoundland and Labrador province

  3. (often not capital) short for Labrador retriever

"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

Labrador Cultural  
  1. The portion of the province of Newfoundland, Canada, that lies on the mainland of North America.


Discover More

It is the eastern part of the large Labrador-Ungava peninsular region of eastern Canada.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of Labrador

First recorded in 1700–10; the peninsula was named after João Fernandes Lavrador (1453–1501), Portuguese explorer

Compare meaning

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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:

Wearing her blue harness, this restless brown Labrador retriever ventures into the debris of buildings that collapsed in the earthquakes of June 24.

From Barron's Jul. 5, 2026

She appreciates that he posts videos with his dogs—including a Labrador and shepherds—on social media, which she views as evidence of his sensitivity.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 12, 2026

Like many, Huw got his first dog - a black Labrador named Clyde - in lockdown, and describes him as a "symbol of home" that also became the symbol of his business.

From BBC Mar. 29, 2026

She’s a 16-year-old Labrador retriever who became the target of a nasty custody fight between a California couple after the dissolution of their domestic partnership.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 27, 2026

Then the Labrador would sit apart, aloof and watchful, nervous and tense.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

For 31 years Labradors topped the American Kennel Club’s purebred rankings, which are based on more than one million annual registrations.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 28, 2025

The studies found that Labradors that received 25 percent fewer calories than their littermates lived almost two years longer and saw a similar delay in the onset of age-associated disease.

From Slate Apr. 23, 2025

From the road one recent morning, black and white Labradors could be seen romping about inside pens, excitedly barking and wagging tails.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 17, 2024

More than 80 pet Labradors dogs took part in the study.

From BBC Mar. 6, 2024

He saw collies, boxers, terriers, Labradors and combinations thereof.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

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