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• 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.

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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.

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Terrier ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪə /

noun

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

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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

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terrier ³ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪə /

noun

1. English legal history a register or survey of land

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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

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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

“We’ve never been so this is maybe our last chance,” Tom Beattie said, sitting on a bench with their border terrier Annie as his wife called her sister from the pay phone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Visiting from Derbyshire along with Logan the border terrier, Phil said he and Carol were married in Scarborough, stayed there at least three times a year and called the town their "second home".

From BBC ● Sep. 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

There were six people and a Scotch terrier inhabiting the remote farmhouse Major Major called home, and five of them and the Scotch terrier turned out to be agents for the F.B.I.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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

"If they fit 80% of the criteria, then in law, they became an American Pit Bull Terrier in the UK, and were therefore banned."

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025

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

So Commander Lempriere, of H.M. gunboat Terrier, went to work with a will.

From "Martin Of Nitendi"; and The River Of Dreams 1901 by Louis Becke

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