retriever

[ri-tree-ver]

See more synonyms for retriever on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that retrieves.
one of any of several breeds of dogs having a coarse, thick, oily coat, trained to retrieve game.
any dog trained to retrieve game.

Origin of retriever

First recorded in 1480–90; retrieve + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for retriever

Contemporary Examples

Twice in the past two weeks, this has entailed meeting a plane on the runway to retriever sick passengers who may be infected.
Ebola Panic Is Worse Than the Disease
Abby Haglage
October 9, 2014
But in that instance, Amy Rice was acting in defense of her Labrador retriever, Elle, after the put bull attacked it.
Woman Bites Her Dog, Illinois Police Say, Charging Analise Garner With the Assault
Michael Daly
May 1, 2012
Finally one Christmas the queen sent over a gift of a Labrador retriever, indicating a social benediction of sorts.
Billionaire Divorcee's Happy Ending
Sandra McElwaine
January 24, 2011

Historical Examples

Have you ever seen a retriever dashing in play after a greyhound?
The Good Soldier
Ford Madox Ford
Aye, but Bigot set her on him, like a retriever, to bring back the game!
The Golden Dog
William Kirby
He was accompanied by the old dog, who was to act as retriever.
Anecdotes of Dogs
Edward Jesse
A gamekeeper had a Newfoundland dog which he used as a retriever.
Anecdotes of Dogs
Edward Jesse
He went about somewhat like a retriever snuffing the air for game.
The Iron Horse
R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for retriever

retriever

noun

one of a breed of large gun dogs that can be trained to retrieve gameSee golden retriever, Labrador retriever, Chesapeake Bay retriever, curly-coated retriever, flat-coated retriever
any dog used to retrieve shot game
a person or thing that retrieves

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

Word Origin and History for retriever

n.

"dog used for retrieving game," late 15c., agent noun from retrieve.

retriever

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}retriever

Examples from the Web for retriever

Contemporary Examples

Twice in the past two weeks, this has entailed meeting a plane on the runway to retriever sick passengers who may be infected.

But in that instance, Amy Rice was acting in defense of her Labrador retriever, Elle, after the put bull attacked it.

Finally one Christmas the queen sent over a gift of a Labrador retriever, indicating a social benediction of sorts.

Historical Examples

Have you ever seen a retriever dashing in play after a greyhound?

Aye, but Bigot set her on him, like a retriever, to bring back the game!

He was accompanied by the old dog, who was to act as retriever.

A gamekeeper had a Newfoundland dog which he used as a retriever.

He went about somewhat like a retriever snuffing the air for game.

retriever

Word Origin and History for retriever

n.

Origin of retriever