Staffordshire bull terrier

American  

[staf-erd-sheer bool ter-ee-er, ‐sher] / ˈstæf ərd ʃɪər ˌbʊl ˈtɛr i ər, ‐ʃər /

Informal, staffy

noun

1. one of an English breed of strong, stocky, muscular dogs having a broad skull and a smooth coat, in combinations of red, white, black, or blue, originally raised for bullbaiting and later dogfighting, but now bred as a companion dog.

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Staffordshire bull terrier British  

noun

1. a breed of smooth-coated terrier with a stocky frame and generally a pied or brindled coat See also bull terrier

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Etymology

Origin of Staffordshire bull terrier

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

In May, her 3-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier was dying after a complication during a C-section.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024

Mr Fryer worked at the Priory Mental Health Hospital in Bristol, where he would visit patients three days a week, accompanied by his Staffordshire bull terrier Lara.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2024

At the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Sallie Ann Jarrett was separated from the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry regiment during the crucial early hours of July 1, 1863.

From Washington Times • Nov. 22, 2023

Moreover, the police had said that he could not take an animal with him, and he did not want to be separated from his dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier named Milly.

From The New Yorker • May 20, 2019

The family’s two dogs, Hanno, a Neapolitan mastiff bought as a guard dog, and Toni, an ageing Staffordshire bull terrier, padded around.

From Reuters • Apr. 17, 2018