schnauzer

American

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

noun

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

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

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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

After reaching the final three years in a row, Monty beat more than 2,500 canines to become the first giant schnauzer to take home the show's top prize.

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

The video then cut to his miniature schnauzer, Oscar.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2023

He tilts his head, hairy gray eyebrows raised in that adorable schnauzer way.

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