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terrier

 - 6 dictionary results
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ter⋅ri⋅er

1  [ter-ee-er]
Use terrier in a Sentence
–noun
1. any of several breeds of usually small dogs, used originally to pursue game and drive it out of its hole or burrow.
2. (initial capital letter) U.S. Military. a surface-to-air, two-stage antiaircraft missile.
Origin:
1400–50; < MF, short for chien terrier lit., dog of the earth (< ML terrārius; see terra, -ier 2 ); so called because used to start badgers from their burrows; r. late ME terrere < AF (see -er 2 )
Dog
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www.Petango.com
Airedale Terrier Guide
Learn About Housebreaking, Training Barking, Biting, Grooming & Diet.
AiredaleTerrier.TrainPetDog.com

ter⋅ri⋅er

2  [ter-ee-er]
–noun Law.
a book or document in which are described the site, boundaries, acreage, tenants, etc., of certain lands.
Origin:
1470–80; < MF, short for registre terrier register of land (< ML terrārius; see terra, -ier 2 ); r. earlier terrere < AF (see -er 2

ter⋅ry

  [ter-ee] noun, plural -ries, adjective
–noun
1. the loop formed by the pile of a fabric when left uncut.
2. Also called terry cloth. a pile fabric, usually of cotton, with loops on both sides, as in a Turkish towel.
–adjective
3. made of such a fabric: a terry bathrobe.
4. having the pile loops uncut: terry velvet.
Origin:
1775–85; perh. var. of terret
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To terrier
ter·ri·er   (těr'ē-ər)   
n.  Any of several typically small, active breeds of hunting dog originally developed for driving game from burrows.

[Middle English, from Old French (chien) terrier, ground (dog), terrier, from Medieval Latin terrārius, of the earth, from Latin terra; see ters- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

terrier 
c.1440, from O.Fr. chien terrier "terrier dog," lit. "earth dog," from M.L. terrarius "of earth," from L. terra "earth" (see terrain). So called because the dogs pursue their quarry (foxes, badgers, etc.) into their burrows.

terry 
"loop raised in pile-weaving, left uncut," 1784, possibly an alteration of Fr. tiré "drawn," from pp. of tirer "draw out" (cf. cognate Ger. gezogener Sammet "drawn velvet").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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