mastiff

American  

[mas-tif, mah-stif] / ˈmæs tɪf, ˈmɑ stɪf /

noun

1. one of a breed of large, powerful, short-haired dogs having an apricot, fawn, or brindled coat.

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mastiff British  

/ ˈmæstɪf /

noun

1. an old breed of large powerful short-haired dog, usually fawn or brindle with a dark mask

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Etymology

Origin of mastiff

1300–50; Middle English mastif, perhaps extracted from Anglo-French masti ( n ) s (taken as *mastifs ), plural of Old French mastin < Vulgar Latin ( canis ) *ma ( n ) suētīnus, derivative of Latin mansuētus tame, mild ( see mansuetude)

Compare meaning

How does mastiff compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mastiff vs. bullmastiff

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mastiff

They joked about sending their mastiff to the door next time.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2025

Previously, the Lowe family had a bull mastiff rescue, Gus, who bit son Samuel in 2023 after the boy tried to bend down and pet him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2025

We were sitting in his studio while Kaya, his enormous Tibetan mastiff, weaved through our legs.

From Slate ● Feb. 18, 2025

James Strauch, 42, said he eventually started offering landlords £1,000 deposit to let him rent with his four-year-old labrador mastiff cross, Bruno.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024

A huge black shape bounded out of nowhere—a mastiff the size of an SUV, with a Cyclops and a harpy on her back.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan