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schipperke

[skip-er-kee, -kuh]
noun
  1. one of a Belgian breed of small dogs having erect ears and a thick, black coat, originally used as a watchdog on boats in the Netherlands and Belgium.
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Origin of schipperke

1885–90; < dialectal Dutch: little boatman, equivalent to schipper skipper1 + -ke -kin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for schipperke

Historical Examples

  • One of these dogs was a Schipperke, the breed kept by the bargemen of Belgium to guard their goods and chattels.

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British Dictionary definitions for schipperke

schipperke

noun
  1. a small Dutch breed of tailless dog with a foxy head, pricked ears, and usually a black coat
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Word Origin

C19: from Dutch, literally: little boatman (from its use as a guard dog on canal barges). See skipper 1
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