Terrier

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Terrier \Ter"ri*er\, n. [CF. L. terere to rub, to rub away,
     terebra a borer.]
     An auger or borer. [Obs.]
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Terrier \Ter"ri*er\, n.
     1. [F. terrier, chien terrier, from terre the earth, L.
        terra; cf. F. terrier a burrow, LL. terrarium a hillock
        (hence the sense, a mound thrown up in making a burrow, a
        burrow). See {Terrace}, and cf. {Terrier}, 2.] (Zool.) One
        of a breed of small dogs, which includes several distinct
        subbreeds, some of which, such as the Skye terrier and
        Yorkshire terrier, have long hair and drooping ears, while
        others, at the English and the black-and-tan terriers,
        have short, close, smooth hair and upright ears.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Most kinds of terriers are noted for their courage, the
           acuteness of their sense of smell, their propensity to
           hunt burrowing animals, and their activity in
           destroying rats, etc. See {Fox terrier}, under {Fox}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. [F. terrier, papier terrier, LL. terrarius liber, i.e., a
        book belonging or pertaining to land or landed estates.
        See {Terrier}, 1, and cf. {Terrar}.] (Law)
        (a) Formerly, a collection of acknowledgments of the
            vassals or tenants of a lordship, containing the rents
            and services they owed to the lord, and the like.
        (b) In modern usage, a book or roll in which the lands of
            private persons or corporations are described by their
            site, boundaries, number of acres, or the like.
            [Written also {terrar}.]
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Dog \Dog\ (d[add]g or d[o^]g), n. [AS. docga; akin to D. dog
     mastiff, Dan. dogge, Sw. dogg.]
     1. (Zool.) A quadruped of the genus {Canis}, esp. the
        domestic dog ({Canis familiaris}).
  
     Note: The dog is distinguished above all others of the
           inferior animals for intelligence, docility, and
           attachment to man. There are numerous carefully bred
           varieties, as the {akita}, {beagle}, {bloodhound},
           {bulldog}, {coachdog}, {collie}, {Danish dog},
           {foxhound}, {greyhound}, {mastiff}, {pointer},
           {poodle}, {St. Bernard}, {setter}, {spaniel}, {spitz},
           {terrier}, {German shepherd}, {pit bull}, {Chihuahua},
           etc. There are also many mixed breeds, and partially
           domesticated varieties, as well as wild dogs, like the
           dingo and dhole. (See these names in the Vocabulary.)
           [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     2. A mean, worthless fellow; a wretch.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              What is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he
              should do this great thing?           -- 2 Kings
                                                    viii. 13 (Rev.
                                                    Ver. )
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A fellow; -- used humorously or contemptuously; as, a sly
        dog; a lazy dog. [Colloq.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Astron.) One of the two constellations, Canis Major and
        Canis Minor, or the Greater Dog and the Lesser Dog. Canis
        Major contains the Dog Star (Sirius).
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. An iron for holding wood in a fireplace; a firedog; an
        andiron.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. (Mech.)
        (a) A grappling iron, with a claw or claws, for fastening
            into wood or other heavy articles, for the purpose of
            raising or moving them.
        (b) An iron with fangs fastening a log in a saw pit, or on
            the carriage of a sawmill.
        (c) A piece in machinery acting as a catch or clutch;
            especially, the carrier of a lathe, also, an
            adjustable stop to change motion, as in a machine
            tool.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     7. an ugly or crude person, especially an ugly woman. [slang]
        [PJC]
  
     8. a {hot dog}. [slang]
        [PJC]
  
     Note: Dog is used adjectively or in composition, commonly in
           the sense of relating to, or characteristic of, a dog.
           It is also used to denote a male; as, dog fox or g-fox,
           a male fox; dog otter or dog-otter, dog wolf, etc.; --
           also to denote a thing of cheap or mean quality; as,
           dog Latin.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {A dead dog}, a thing of no use or value. --1 Sam. xxiv. 14.
  
     {A dog in the manger}, an ugly-natured person who prevents
        others from enjoying what would be an advantage to them
        but is none to him.
  
     {Dog ape} (Zool.), a male ape.
  
     {Dog cabbage}, or {Dog's cabbage} (Bot.), a succulent herb,
        native to the Mediterranean region ({Thelygonum
        Cynocrambe}).
  
     {Dog cheap}, very cheap. See under {Cheap}.
  
     {Dog ear} (Arch.), an acroterium. [Colloq.]
  
     {Dog flea} (Zool.), a species of flea ({Pulex canis}) which
        infests dogs and cats, and is often troublesome to man. In
        America it is the common flea. See {Flea}, and
        {Aphaniptera}.
  
     {Dog grass} (Bot.), a grass ({Triticum caninum}) of the same
        genus as wheat.
  
     {Dog Latin}, barbarous Latin; as, the dog Latin of pharmacy.
        
  
     {Dog lichen} (Bot.), a kind of lichen ({Peltigera canina})
        growing on earth, rocks, and tree trunks, -- a lobed
        expansion, dingy green above and whitish with fuscous
        veins beneath.
  
     {Dog louse} (Zool.), a louse that infests the dog, esp.
        {H[ae]matopinus piliferus}; another species is
        {Trichodectes latus}.
  
     {Dog power}, a machine operated by the weight of a dog
        traveling in a drum, or on an endless track, as for
        churning.
  
     {Dog salmon} (Zool.), a salmon of northwest America and
        northern Asia; -- the {gorbuscha}; -- called also {holia},
        and {hone}.
  
     {Dog shark}. (Zool.) See {Dogfish}.
  
     {Dog's meat}, meat fit only for dogs; refuse; offal.
  
     {Dog Star}. See in the Vocabulary.
  
     {Dog wheat} (Bot.), Dog grass.
  
     {Dog whelk} (Zool.), any species of univalve shells of the
        family {Nassid[ae]}, esp. the {Nassa reticulata} of
        England.
  
     {To give to the dogs}, or {To throw to the dogs}, to throw
        away as useless. "Throw physic to the dogs; I'll none of
        it." --Shak.
  
     {To go to the dogs}, to go to ruin; to be ruined.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  terrier
       n : any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally
           trained to hunt animals living underground

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  TERRIER, Eng. law. A roll, catalogue or survey of lands, belonging either to 
  a single person or a town, in which are stated the quantity of, acres, the 
  names of the tenants, and the like. 
       2. By the ecclesiastical law an inquiry is directed to be made from 
  time to time, of the temporal rights of the clergyman of every parish, and 
  to be returned into the registry of the bishop: this return is denominated a 
  terrier. 1 Phil. & Am. Ev. 602, 603.