water spaniel

noun

: a spaniel of either of two breeds:

Examples of water spaniel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the 1850s and ’60s, Sir Dudley Marjoribanks began crossing flat-coated retrievers with Tweed water spaniels (both of which contain Labrador retriever ancestry) at his estate, Guisachan, selecting for light-colored dogs. Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 21 Sep. 2023 The American water spaniel is thought to be the only dog breed native to Wisconsin, credited to New London physician Fred J. Pfeifer. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2023 The first litter of golden retrievers was born in 1868 to a Tweed water spaniel, a breed now extinct, and yellow flat-coated retriever. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023 Further studies in 1994 uncovered a fluffy white dog at the boy’s feet—possibly the artist’s own English water spaniel, Tristram. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, 22 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water 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

First Known Use

circa 1559, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water spaniel was circa 1559

Dictionary Entries Near water spaniel

Cite this Entry

“Water spaniel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20spaniel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

water spaniel

noun
: a rather large spaniel of either of two breeds with heavy curly coats
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