water spaniel

noun

either of two breeds of spaniels, used for retrieving waterfowl.

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Compare American water spaniel, Irish water spaniel.

Origin of water spaniel

First recorded in 1560–70

Words nearby water spaniel

water ski, water snail, water snake, water softener, water soldier, water spaniel, water spider, water splash, water sports, water sprite, water sprout

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for water spaniel

No jack-rabbits ventured into the desert; no more would a water-spaniel breast a scalding sea.
On a Donkey's Hurricane Deck|R. Pitcher Woodward
She hath more qualities than a water-spaniel,— 270 which is much in a bare Christian.
Two Gentlemen of Verona|William Shakespeare
In the street she was followed by a water-spaniel, which appealed and vanished suddenly.
A Mummer's Tale|Anatole France
There were evident traces of the water-spaniel, the Skye terrier, and that most beautiful of all the hound family—the beagle.
Captain Mugford|W.H.G. Kingston

A water-spaniel which knows how to work with a hawk is in each case very useful.
The Art and Practice of Hawking|Edward B. Michell

British Dictionary definitions for water spaniel

water spaniel

noun

either of two large curly-coated breeds of spaniel (the Irish and the American), which are used for hunting waterfowlSee also Irish water spaniel

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