Norfolk terrier

5.3

A small English dog that is lively and friendly with short wiry fur and folded ears

noun
/ˈnɔrfək ˈtɛriər/

: terrier Norfolk

Many families enjoy the companionship of a Norfolk terrier due to its friendly demeanor.

Examples

The Norfolk terrier is a playful companion.
At the dog show, her Norfolk terrier won first prize for best coat.
Many city dwellers choose the Norfolk terrier because of its compact size and energetic nature.
The Norfolk terrier is known for its friendly personality and adaptability to family life.
I saw a Norfolk terrier at the park yesterday.
The Norfolk terrier is known for its lively personality and strong loyalty to its family.
With its wiry coat and adorable dropped ears, the Norfolk terrier is a charming pet for dog lovers.

How Big

cargo ship

26 3.0

barge

57 3.9

Norfolk wherry

Archaic

9.5

small boat

13 1.0

Norfolk terrier

5.3

dinghy

18 4.8

Surface Forms

Norfolk terrier singular

Norfolk terriers plural

Morphology

Norfolk + terrier

This is a straightforward place-name + animal construction: a learner who knows 'Norfolk' (a place) and 'terrier' (a small dog breed) can infer it denotes a terrier breed associated with Norfolk. The pattern is compositional and mirrors cross-linguistic breed-naming (e.g. 'German shepherd', 'Yorkshire terrier'), so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Norfolk terrier comes from the county Norfolk in England, where small terrier dogs were used on farms and carts to 'hunt' rats and go into holes. That's why the name now means a small, lively English dog breed.