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Glite Dictionary
Brussels griffon

Brussels griffon

8.1
A very small, strong dog from Belgium with a rough coat and a short bearded face
  • noun
  • /ˈbrʌsəlz ˈɡrɪfən/
translation icon : griffón de Bruselas
  • The Brussels griffon is known for its expressive face and lively personality.

Examples

  • Many owners describe their Brussels griffon as affectionate and loyal companions.

  • A Brussels griffon won several awards at the international dog show this year.

  • The Brussels griffon is known for its charming personality.

  • Many people adore the Brussels griffon for its unique appearance.

  • A Brussels griffon won several awards at the international dog show this year.

  • Many owners describe their Brussels griffon as affectionate and loyal companions.

  • The Brussels griffon is known for its expressive face and lively personality.

Synonyms

griffon
vsBrussels griffon
1 8.6

A small or medium dog with a rough, wiry coat often kept as a pet

is more specific meaning a very small Belgian dog with a bearded muzzle
Belgian griffon
vsBrussels griffon
8.6

A very small, strong dog from Belgium with rough hair and a short bearded snout

is the same breed but named after a capital city

Surface Forms

Brussels griffon singular
Brussels griffons plural

Morphology

Brussels + griffon

The compound is compositionally built from a place name plus a breed name: 'Brussels' signals origin and 'griffon' denotes a small companion dog. This place+breed pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. 'Boston terrier', 'Yorkshire terrier'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a dog breed from Brussels.

Etymology

Brussels griffon gets its name from the city Brussels in Belgium and the word griffon. One popular story says griffon was a French word for a rough, bearded dog, so the name means 'a small, wiry, bearded dog from Brussels', which is why we use it for this breed today.