Illustration of terrier
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to dig for small game and engage the quarry underground or drive it out
Examples of terrier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This produced a breed that combined the tenacity of the bulldog with the terrier’s alertness, agility and speed.
—
Lisa Bloch, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
While the dog in the film is CGI, Ozu (a terrier mix) was captured with 3D imaging to help create the character… and based on this photo with Rachel Brosnahan the real life Ozu got plenty of love on set.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 19 July 2025
The Nuggets played the underdog card as if Michael Malone, a terrier of a man who loved punching up, had never left.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Also known as the Andalusian terrier, these dogs were bred to help protect vineyard wine cellars from potential rat infestations.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
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Lisa Bloch, Mercury News, 22 July 2025
While the dog in the film is CGI, Ozu (a terrier mix) was captured with 3D imaging to help create the character… and based on this photo with Rachel Brosnahan the real life Ozu got plenty of love on set.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 19 July 2025
The Nuggets played the underdog card as if Michael Malone, a terrier of a man who loved punching up, had never left.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Also known as the Andalusian terrier, these dogs were bred to help protect vineyard wine cellars from potential rat infestations.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for terrier
Cite this Entry
“Terrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrier. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
terrier
noun
ter·ri·er
ˈter-ē-ər 
: any of various usually small energetic dogs originally used by hunters to drive game animals from their holes
Etymology
Middle English terryer "a small dog used for hunting burrowing animals," from early French (chen) terrer, literally "earth dog," from terre "earth," derived from Latin terra (same meaning)
Word Origin
Today most terriers are kept as pets. However, there was a time when the dogs were widely used for hunting. Terriers are usually small dogs with short legs, and they were used to dig game animals such as foxes, badgers, and weasels out of their holes. The dogs were also trained to go into a hole after a game animal and drive it out. The French name for these dogs was chen terrer, meaning "earth dog." English borrowed only the word terrier, which can be traced back to Latin terra, meaning "earth."
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