Labrador retriever

American  

noun

1. one of a breed of retrievers having a short, thick, oily, solid black or yellow coat, raised originally in Newfoundland.

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Labrador retriever British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: Labrador.   lab.  a powerfully-built variety of retriever with a short dense usually black or golden-brown coat

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Etymology

Origin of Labrador retriever

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

One client of Alexander Schwartz, a Connecticut divorce attorney, spent about $70,000 on fighting for sole custody of a Labrador retriever that the client and his ex originally bought for $3,000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 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

When Emily, a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever in Texas, began showing signs of old age— intermittent limping and inability to jump on the bed—her owner, Maxine Clegg, started getting nervous about her best friend.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2025

Combs spent her childhood exploring her village alongside Rosebud, a Labrador retriever mix.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

Arnold, a well-behaved yellow Labrador retriever, was larger than Ginger and was—quite decidedly and obviously—male.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg