any of several breeds of usually small dogs, used originally to pursue game and drive it out of its hole or burrow.
(initial capital letter) a surface-to-air, two-stage antiaircraft missile.
1400–50; < Middle French, short for chien terrier literally, dog of the earth (< Medieval Latin terrārius; see terra, -ier 2); so called because used to start badgers from their burrows; replacing late Middle English terrere < Anglo-French ( see -er 2)
1470–80; < Middle French, short for registre terrier register of land (< Medieval Latin terrārius; see terra, -ier 2); replacing earlier terrere < Anglo-French ( see -er 2
A terrier is a type of dog. Terriers are usually brave, strong, small dogs with wiry coats. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's dog Toto is a terrier. Most terriers have short, muscular bodies. There is a lot of variety in the terrier group, though—from fuzzy, 70-pound Airedale terriers to smooth-coated, 25-pound Boston terriers. Terriers were originally bred to hunt small animals like rats and foxes. Terrier comes from the Old French chien terrier, or "earth dog," a reference to the terrier's willingness to follow its prey into underground burrows if necessary.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Staffordshire bull terrier Duchess was abandoned, and only survived because of the goodwill of a neighbour, who fed her through a letterbox.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Television: A 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Soccer has attracted a large following; now, he’s starring in his first feature-length adventure.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Now, that same officer who rescued the 1-year-old terrier mix is bringing him home on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
“I don’t know anyone who could contest that she is the strongest rat terrier in the world,” says Quinn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Afterwards they rested in the deep pine needles under the trees, the terrier panting heavily with his eyes half closed, and the cat busy with his eternal washing.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
Terrier put his side in front on the half-hour mark, latching onto a rebounded Schick attempt before curling a shot into the top-left corner.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
Martin Terrier, Patrik Schick and Jonas Hofmann scored as Bayer Leverkusen moved past St Pauli 3-0 at home on Tuesday to reach the German Cup semi-finals.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
Isabelle Boffey ran the second fastest ever indoor 800m by a British athlete as she clocked one minute 57.43 seconds to win at the BU Terrier Classic in Boston.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026
"The XL bully started to cause concern in pet ownership and dog ownership, and that is a cross of four different dogs, including the American Pit Bull Terrier," he said.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025
I congratulate you, Cuthbert; that really looks like business, and if Terrier can't teach you how to use the brush and put on color no one can.
From A Girl of the Commune by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
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.
