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tosa

British  
/ ˈtəʊsə /

noun

  1. a large dog, usually red in colour, which is a cross between a mastiff and a Great Dane: originally developed for dog-fighting; it is not recognized as a breed by kennel clubs outside Japan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tosa

C20: from the name of a province of the island of Shikoku, Japan

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The 1991 Act had already banned the ownership of four breeds - the pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, dogo argentino and fila brasileiro.

From BBC Oct. 7, 2025

So-called Section 1 dogs are banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and also include the American pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Dogo Argentinos, and Fila Brazileiro.

From BBC Jan. 28, 2025

The guidance is similar to that issued for the four breeds which were banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991: the American pit bull terrier, the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentinos and the Fila Brazileiro.

From BBC Oct. 31, 2023

Both currently ban the pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero.

From BBC Oct. 31, 2023

An acceptilation can be made in Greek, provided the form corresponds to that of the Latin words, as 'exeis labon denaria tosa; exo labon.'

From The Institutes of Justinian by Moyle, John Baron

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