American Staffordshire terrier
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈstæfərdʃɪr ˈtɛrɪər/
:
terrier americano de Staffordshire
- The American Staffordshire terrier is known for its loyalty.
Examples
-
The American Staffordshire terrier is known for its loyalty and affectionate nature toward families.
-
Many dog shows feature the American Staffordshire terrier in the terrier group competition.
-
Their short coats make grooming American Staffordshire terriers relatively easy for most owners.
-
Many families choose an American Staffordshire terrier as their pet.
-
My friend has an American Staffordshire terrier named Max who is very friendly.
-
The American Staffordshire terrier is known for its loyalty and strength.
-
At the dog park, I saw an American Staffordshire terrier playing fetch with its owner.
Synonyms
1
3.6
A strong, muscular dog breed from the United States with a short coat and high energy
1
3.2
A strong dog with short fur that is often loyal and brave
A strong, muscular dog with a short, smooth, stiff coat
Surface Forms
Morphology
American + Staffordshire + terrier
The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'American' (demonym) + 'Staffordshire' (place name) + 'terrier' (dog type), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it denotes a terrier breed associated with Staffordshire/America. Breed-naming by demonym/place + animal type is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
American Staffordshire terrier comes from mixing strong English bull and terrier dogs in Staffordshire and then breeding them in the United States. The parts of the name, American meaning 'bred in the U.S.', Staffordshire meaning 'a place in England', and terrier meaning 'a brave working dog', help explain why this breed is 'strong' and 'muscular' today.