Jump To:

• terrier
  terrier

  noun

  any of several breeds of usually small dogs, used originally to pursue game and drive it out of its hole or burrow.
• Terrier
  Terrier

  noun

  a member of the British Army's Territorial and Volunteer Reserve

terrier

¹ American  

[ter-ee-er] / ˈtɛr i ər /

noun

1. any of several breeds of usually small dogs, used originally to pursue game and drive it out of its hole or burrow.

2. (initial capital letter) a surface-to-air, two-stage antiaircraft missile.

---

terrier ² American  

[ter-ee-er] / ˈtɛr i ər /

noun

Law.

1. a book or document in which are described the site, boundaries, acreage, tenants, etc., of certain lands.

---

Terrier ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪə /

noun

1. informal a member of the British Army's Territorial and Volunteer Reserve

---

terrier ² British  

/ ˈtɛrɪə /

noun

1. any of several usually small, active, and short-bodied breeds of dog, originally trained to hunt animals living underground

---

terrier ³ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪə /

noun

1. English legal history a register or survey of land

---

Etymology

Origin of terrier¹

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)

Origin of terrier²

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terrier Terrier

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

Wishbone, the titular dog of the series, was played by a Jack Russell terrier named Soccer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

In Boston, Marybeth Oskowski turned to acupuncture as part of a treatment plan for her terrier mix, Maddie, following a spinal injury.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

At their feet, a regal Airedale terrier named Phoebe lounges, looking as though she belongs in an oil painting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026

In spite of having the sunless complexion and slight build of a yeshiva student, Sender clung onto the cord as tenaciously as a terrier, even going so far as to bare his teeth.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Sally says she bought the same pair of shoes five times and ten separate dog beds for her Yorkshire Terrier.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

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

Turns out there’s a sunrise dance party in full swing on a patio off the kitchen, complete with swirling disco balls, streamers and a 3-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Hippo, ambling through the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2023

What the word "dog" signifies, i.e., the "concept" of dog, is neither big nor little, neither black nor tan, neither here nor there, neither Newfoundland, nor Retriever, nor Terrier, nor Greyhound, nor Pug, nor Bulldog.

From Logic, Inductive and Deductive by Minto, William