1925–30; < Dutch, probably special use of Kees (shortening of proper name Cornelius) + hond dog; see hound1
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
00:10
00:09
00:08
00:07
00:06
00:05
00:04
00:03
00:02
00:01
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
keeshond
breed of dog long kept on Dutch barges as a guard and companion. Originally a dog kept by working-class people, the keeshond was the symbol of the 18th-century Dutch Patriots Party. It derived its present name from a dog, Kees, belonging to Kees de Gyselaer, the leader of the Patriots. Descended from the same ancestors as the Samoyed, Norwegian elkhound, spitz, and Pomeranian, the keeshond has a foxlike face and a plumed tail carried high over its back. Its long, thick, gray coat consists of a pale undercoat overlaid by black-tipped hairs. Shadings and markings around the eyes give the impression of spectacles. The mature keeshond stands 17 to 18 inches (43 to 46 cm) and weighs 55 to 66 pounds (25 to 30 kg). It is the national dog of The Netherlands.
Learn more about keeshond with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Cite This Source
