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Glite Dictionary
Irish terrier

Irish terrier

1 4.9
A medium-sized dog with a wiry brown coat from Ireland
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪrɪʃ ˈtɛrɪər/
translation icon : terrier irlandés
  • My friend has an Irish terrier that loves to dig in the garden.

Examples

  • The fence is for Vukie, the Gudmundssons' Irish terrier, who likes to wander.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I adopted an Irish terrier that has a beautiful wiry brown coat.

  • The Irish terrier is known for its playful nature and loyal temperament.

Synonyms

terrier
vsIrish terrier
48 2.3

A small dog bred to hunt animals that live underground

is a specific medium-sized breed developed in Ireland with a wiry brown coat

Surface Forms

Irish terrier singular
Irish terriers plural

Morphology

Irish + terrier

The compound 'Irish terrier' is directly interpretable as 'a terrier from Ireland' — combining 'Irish' (pertaining to Ireland) with 'terrier' (a type of dog) yields the intended meaning. Specific breed attributes (medium size, wiry coat) are encyclopedic details but do not prevent a B1 learner who knows both constituents from understanding the expression.

Etymology

Irish terrier comes from two simple ideas: Irish means 'from Ireland' and terrier was a name for small working dogs that went into holes to hunt rats and foxes. So the name tells you both where the dog comes from and the kind of work it was bred for, which fits its lively, brave nature today.