toy spaniel
1
3.8
- noun
- /tɔɪ ˈspæn.jəl/
:
spaniel toy
- She took her toy spaniel for a walk in the park every evening.
Examples
-
The toy spaniel curled up in her lap while she read her book.
-
Toy spaniels were originally known as the "epagneul nain," or dwarf spaniel.
Academic text (2015) -
Although the exact breed of the dog in Boilly's portrait is difficult to identify with certainty, it appears to be a toy spaniel and is obviously a lapdog.
Academic text (2015) -
Many families choose a toy spaniel because they are friendly and good with children.
Synonyms
46
4.2
A very small dog kept mainly as a pet
18
3.0
A dog with long silky ears and a soft coat
18
3.0
A small dog that sits on someone's lap as a pet
1
3.2
A very small dog that people breed and keep as a pet in homes
Small British dog with long soft fur, a round head, and a short turned up nose
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'toy' here signals a very small companion variety and 'spaniel' names the dog breed, so together they denote a very small spaniel. This modifier+noun pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
Toy spaniel may come from the simple image of a tiny spaniel that looks like a toy you can hold on your lap, and that's why it means a very small dog kept as a 'pet' or 'companion'.