Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Airedale terrier

Airedale terrier

5.2
A large terrier with a rough coat from Yorkshire in England
  • noun
  • /ˈɛrdeɪl ˈtɛrɪər/
translation icon : terrier Airedale
  • At the park, I saw a magnificent Airedale terrier playing fetch with its owner.

Examples

  • The Airedale terrier is known for its intelligence and playful nature, making it a favorite among dog lovers.

  • She bought me an Airedale terrier, who I love.

    The Switch (2010)

  • My friend adopted an Airedale terrier that will be a great companion for his family.

Synonyms

Airedale
vsAiredale terrier
1 6.3

A large terrier dog that comes from Yorkshire and has rough fur

has identical meaning but uses the fuller two word name

Surface Forms

Airedale terrier singular
Airedale terriers plural

Morphology

Airedale + terrier

The phrase simply names a type of dog: combining 'Airedale' (a breed/place name) with 'terrier' yields the meaning 'a terrier from Airedale' or 'Airedale breed of terrier.' This head–modifier compound is compositionally transparent and follows a common cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer it refers to a terrier breed.

Etymology

Airedale terrier gets its name from the River Aire and the word dale for 'valley' in Yorkshire, where people first bred these dogs. So the name simply means a terrier from the Aire valley, which is why it refers to that large terrier with a rough coat today.