spaniel

noun

span·​iel ˈspan-yəl How to pronounce spaniel (audio)
 also  ˈspa-nᵊl
1
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs usually having long wavy hair, feathered legs and tail, and large drooping ears
2
: a fawning servile person

Examples of spaniel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Or did our 9-year-old spaniel mix just feel forgotten as all the humans were busying themselves with the wedding of Arya’s owners — Laura Shorey and our son Max. Rick Montgomery, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 For example, Tibetan spaniels could live to the ripe age of 15.2 years, an extremely old age for a dog with their flattened facial proportions. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 2 Feb. 2024 Behind them were Tibetan spaniels (15.2 years), Bolognese (14.9 years), shiba inus (14.6 years) and papillons (14.5 years), to name a few. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 Peter Fisher, photographer and proud owner of a 2-year-old Boykin spaniel named Waylon Poodles and mastiffs and hounds, oh my! Bishop Sand, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 Hunting breeds include labs, spaniels, and retrievers. Jennifer Nelson, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2023 The beaded mirror by Cape Town, South Africa, artist Michael Chandler; a Staffordshire spaniel figurine Gabriella picked up in Palm Beach, FL; and a lidded dish with a toucan top from the Chelsea Flea reflect her wide-ranging style roots. Kathryn O'Shea-Evans, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Nov. 2023 In North Yarmouth, Maine, Sir Biscuit adjusted to his new life outside a cage with the help of Ms. Brown-Pelletier’s other dogs, Albert and Winston, both spaniels. Johnny Diaz, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2023 There’s an informality to the operation—at the battery charging station a spaniel belonging to one of the instructors barges between the trainees’ legs—but the trainers have honed their skills in combat, and many of their students go from the school directly back to the lines. WIRED, 25 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spaniel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English spaynel, spaniell, from Anglo-French espainnel, alteration of espaignol Spaniard, from Vulgar Latin *Hispaniolus, from Latin Hispania Spain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spaniel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spaniel

Cite this Entry

“Spaniel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spaniel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spaniel

noun
span·​iel ˈspan-yəl How to pronounce spaniel (audio)
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs that usually have long wavy hair and large drooping ears

More from Merriam-Webster on spaniel

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