terrier
terrier Lexical Profile
terrier Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small to medium-sized active dog of a breed originally trained to hunt vermin and burrowing animals by digging into their earths.
"The energetic terrier dug a deep hole in the garden while chasing after a mole."
A historical or legal register or survey of a landed estate, detailing its boundaries, ownership, and tenancy.
"The historian carefully examined the sixteenth-century parish terrier to map out the historical boundaries of the glebe lands."
• Rhymes for terrier
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Old French phrase 'chien terrier' (earth dog), coming from the Medieval Latin 'terrarius', which originates from the Latin 'terra' (earth). The name reflects the breed's original purpose of hunting vermin by digging into their underground burrows.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.