retriever

American  

[ri-tree-ver] / rɪˈtri vər /

noun

1. a person or thing that retrieves.

2. one of any of several breeds of dogs having a coarse, thick, oily coat, trained to retrieve game.

3. any dog trained to retrieve game.

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retriever British  

/ rɪˈtriːvə /

noun

1. one of a breed of large gun dogs that can be trained to retrieve game See golden retriever Labrador retriever Chesapeake Bay retriever curly-coated retriever flat-coated retriever

2. any dog used to retrieve shot game

3. a person or thing that retrieves

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Etymology

Origin of retriever

First recorded in 1480–90; retrieve + -er ¹

Compare meaning

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

• Labrador vs. retriever

Example Sentences

Unlike Little Bit, a terrific retriever, Doc failed at hunting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sparky and Lopez’s second dog, a golden retriever named Blazer, both went missing Dec. 3 shortly after the porch pirate was captured on a Ring camera leaving the yard with the gate wide open.

From Los Angeles Times

Jack, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever with the biggest, friendliest eyes, was gone.

From Los Angeles Times

As a superficial snob who grew up with golden retrievers that deserved Pantene commercials, I had to know: Why are we so into ugly dogs now?

From The Wall Street Journal

Poppy, a golden retriever, will be honoured as a "CPR hero" in London on Tuesday.

From BBC

Related Words

• beagle