mastiff

American  

[mas-tif, mah-stif] / ˈmæs tɪf, ˈmɑ stɪf /

noun

1. one of a breed of large, powerful, short-haired dogs having an apricot, fawn, or brindled coat.

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mastiff British  

/ ˈmæstɪf /

noun

1. an old breed of large powerful short-haired dog, usually fawn or brindle with a dark mask

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Etymology

Origin of mastiff

1300–50; Middle English mastif, perhaps extracted from Anglo-French masti ( n ) s (taken as *mastifs ), plural of Old French mastin < Vulgar Latin ( canis ) *ma ( n ) suētīnus, derivative of Latin mansuētus tame, mild ( mansuetude )

Compare meaning

How does mastiff compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mastiff vs. bullmastiff

Example Sentences

The world record for the biggest litter of any dog breed was a Neapolitan mastiff from Cambridgeshire named Tia, who gave birth to 24 pups in 2004.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

He had adopted a bull mastiff puppy named Nala.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2025

They joked about sending their mastiff to the door next time.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2025

We were sitting in his studio while Kaya, his enormous Tibetan mastiff, weaved through our legs.

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2025

Stannis Baratheon with a grievance was like a mastiff with a bone; he gnawed it down to splinters.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin