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schnauzer

American  
[shnou-zer, shnou-tsuhr] / ˈʃnaʊ zər, ˈʃnaʊ tsər /

noun

  1. one of a German breed of sturdy medium-sized dogs having a tight, wiry, pepper-and-salt or pure black coat, bristly eyebrows and beardlike whiskers, and a docked tail, used originally as a ratter and a guard dog and later used in police work.

schnauzer British  
/ ˈʃnaʊtsə /

noun

  1. a wire-haired breed of dog of the terrier type, originally from Germany, having a greyish coat and distinctive beard, moustache, and eyebrows

"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

Etymology

Origin of schnauzer

1920–25; < German, equivalent to Schnauze snout + -er -er 1

Vocabulary lists containing schnauzer

National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2020, photographer Caitlin O’Hara snapped linguist Rachid Baligh of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Marrakesh, Morocco, with his family, his 2015 Ural cT motorcycle, and his miniature schnauzer, Lola, in the Arizona desert.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

A giant schnauzer named Monty was crowned Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on Tuesday, the most prestigious dog show in the US.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2025

The bit included Kimmel's team requesting Santos to congratulate someone for cloning their dog, a schnauzer named Adolf and another for winning a beef-eating contest.

From Salon • Aug. 21, 2024

Two of last year’s seven semifinalists are expected back: Trouble, an American Staffordshire terrier, and Monty, a giant schnauzer, who is currently the nation’s top-ranked dog in The Canine Chronicle magazine’s stats.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024

Our schnauzer, Robin Hood, nestles at her feet.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.