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Glite Dictionary
brindle

brindle

1 7.3
Having dark lines or patches on lighter fur like many dogs and cats
  • adjective
  • /ˈbrɪndəl/
translation icon : atigrado
  • The Portuguese are worth paying attention to because they do have a native livestock guardian dog that is brindle in color.

Examples

  • She adopted a brindle puppy that had a striking pattern of black and tan fur.

  • The most likely source for brindle European dogs is in Iberia.

    Blog text (8)

  • There are brindle cows in the acreage behind them; turkeys on the other side.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The dog's coat was a beautiful brindle, with dark stripes against a light background.

  • The farmer showed off his new brindle bull, which stood out among the other livestock.

Synonyms

grizzled
vsbrindle
11 6.7

Hair that is mixed with grey or white

describes contrast of dark marks on a lighter coat rather than grey mixing
brindled
vsbrindle
7.5

Having fur with brown and grey streaks, often on cats or dogs

describes dark streaks on a lighter background generally
brinded
vsbrindle
  • Archaic
9.9

Having fur with grey or brown streaks and patches

is the same sense but presented in a different form or spelling
tabby
vsbrindle
3.2

Having a coat marked with dark stripes or spots, especially for cats

focuses specifically on dark streaks or patches on a lighter background

Antonyms

solid color
  • US
2 3.0

A single, even color with no pattern or shade change

Surface Forms

brindle positive

Etymology

The word brindle comes from old words that suggested 'burn' or 'scorch'. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine fur that looks 'burned' with dark streaks on a lighter coat, which is why brindle means a coat with dark streaks or patches.