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

Explanation

If your dog brings back anything you throw for her, she's a retriever. Many retrievers are bred to work alongside hunters, fetching game birds. Even if your pup looks more like a mop than a Labrador retriever, you can still describe him as a retriever if he's intent on recovering every tennis ball you hurl across your yard. A retriever is a person or animal that retrieves things, or brings them back. So, strictly speaking, you're a retriever too, if you grab the runaway balls during your friends' tennis match! Retriever derives from the French verb trouver, "to find."

Example Sentences

And, of course, a cute-as-a-button golden retriever who can shoot hoops as well as he can act is always going to hit the mark, he said.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Imagine a baby Brachiosaurus no bigger than a golden retriever searching for plants alongside its siblings while trying to avoid predators eager for an easy meal.

From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

He wasn’t sure when he’d be able to move back home to Altadena with Daisy May, his 13½-year-old golden retriever.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 27, 2025

She wouldn’t have minded if it was a romance or one of those books about a really awesome golden retriever that ends up dying at the end, but she minded that he wouldn't tell her.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

Related Words

• beagle