fox terrier
1
3.4
- noun
- /fɑks ˈtɛriər/
:
terrier fox
- The Basenjis had satiny brown coats and the build of fox terriers; their faces bore the wrinkled, worried expression of investment counselors.
- a wire fox terrier
- a smooth fox terrier
- a fox terrier named
Examples
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Sally has a fox terrier with ears like little glossy leaves.
Fiction book (2001) -
The new dog was a fox terrier like Helen.
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I used to have smooth fox terriers.
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Blood? He acted as wild as he did the day Mrs. Burris's fox terrier bit him.
Fiction book (1990) -
She is a mongrel terrier; her mum was a fox terrier.
Blog text (10) -
Pets: Fox terrier, Pablo.
Academic text (2009) -
The dogs, one described as a fox terrier with a wound on his head, and a mixed Labrador retriever have been terrorising a large section of the Lake District, killing sheep and other livestock.
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Sally has a fox terrier with ears like little glossy leaves.
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King, a wire fox terrier, ultimately won the top award.
Synonyms
48
2.3
A small dog bred to hunt animals that live underground
A small energetic dog with rough, wiry fur and a bushy face
A small lively dog with a short smooth coat
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'fox terrier' is transparently built from 'fox' + 'terrier'—a terrier associated with foxes or bred for fox hunting—so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a small energetic dog breed used with foxes. This compositional pattern (animal + breed/type) is common cross-linguistically and follows regular English noun-noun compounding, making it readily understandable at B1.
Etymology
The noun fox terrier comes from old hunts: small, brave dogs were used to find and 'dig out' foxes, and terrier was the word for a dog that digs. That's why today fox terrier means a small, energetic breed that was bred to hunt and dig out foxes.