Newfoundland dog
- noun
- /ˈnjuːfənˌlænd dɔɡ/
:
perro de Terranova
- When we went to the beach, our Newfoundland dog swam effortlessly, saving a child who was struggling in the water.
Examples
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The Newfoundland dog is known for its strong swimming ability and gentle temperament.
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What makes Newfoundland dogs the ultimate doggy lifeguards?
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My evidence for this theory is a painting by Sir Edwin Landseer in which he shows a Newfoundland dog.
Blog text (27) -
Sue Perry, 58, of Hartford, Conn., relaxes with Porter, her 7 1/2-year-old Newfoundland dog.
Blog text (21) -
Her fluffy Newfoundland dog enjoys playing in the snow during winter.
Synonyms
1
3.2
A large, strong dog with thick fur that swims well
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is transparently compositional: combining 'Newfoundland' (a place/breed name) with 'dog' yields ‘a dog from or associated with Newfoundland,’ so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a type/breed of dog. Specific breed traits (size, coat, swimming ability) are not fully deducible from the words alone, but the basic referent is predictable and follows a cross-linguistic place-name + noun pattern.
Etymology
Newfoundland dog comes from the island of Newfoundland, where fishermen used big working dogs to pull nets and help people in cold water. That's why today a Newfoundland dog is known for being large and very strong and for 'swimming' and 'rescuing' people.