setter

American  

[set-er] / ˈsɛt ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that sets.

2. one of any of several breeds of hunting dogs that originally had the habit of crouching when game was scented but that are now trained to stand stiffly and point the muzzle toward the scented game.

3. Volleyball. a player who lofts the ball high for a teammate near the net to spike.

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setter British  

/ ˈsɛtə /

noun

1. any of various breeds of large gun dog, having silky coats and plumed tails See English setter Gordon setter Irish setter

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Etymology

Origin of setter

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; set, -er ¹

Explanation

A setter is a breed of dog that's sporty and good at hunting. Most setters are energetic, friendly dogs with long, silky hair. Setters have been around since the 1400s, bred to be experts at catching the scent of a pheasant or quail in the air. Well-trained Irish and English setters assist hunters by standing absolutely still when they smell game birds, originally crouching or setting to indicate where they were. Another kind of setter is someone who places, or sets, the letters and numbers in typeface, lining up the words in a newspaper headline before it's printed, for example.

Example Sentences

Bank of England rate setter Megan Greene said the BOE may raise its key interest rate if higher energy costs lead to increased wages and prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

“Chemistry,” setter Tommy Spalding said about the Sea Hawks’ triumph.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Earlier in February, Bundesbank President and ECB rate setter Joachim Nagel said the central bank was unlikely to react to a temporary slowdown in inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Mir became the pace setter after the 28-year-old clocked 1 min 56.874 sec on his Honda machine after 11 laps, to become the fastest rider over two days of testing in Malaysia.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

When Lilya Litvyak was a teenager learning to fly, she’d admired Marina Raskova so much that she’d carried a picture of the Soviet record setter around in a notebook with her.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein