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red setter

red setter

1 3.6
A dog breed from Ireland with a reddish-brown coat and friendly nature
  • noun
  • /rɛd ˈsɛtər/
translation icon : setter irlandés
  • Rehan, with his heart set on finding a pup from a red setter litter and the Berg Brothers having a famous reputation for their hunting lines of both English and red setters, made for a natural match.
  • line of red setters
  • great red setter

Examples

  • "It was a red setter, and he didn't seem to belong to anyone, though he was certainly no maverick.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Rehan, with his heart set on finding a pup from a red setter litter and the Berg Brothers having a famous reputation for their hunting lines of both English and red setters, made for a natural match.

    Blog text (5)
  • The red setter is known for its friendly personality and beautiful mahogany-red coat.

  • During the competition, the red setter demonstrated remarkable agility and obedience.

  • Many families choose a red setter for their loyal and playful nature.

Synonyms

Irish setter
vsred setter
2 3.6

A large red dog from Ireland with silky fur that is friendly and active

has identical meaning but is an alternate name for the same breed

Surface Forms

red setter singular
red setters plural

Morphology

red + setter

The compound is directly descriptive: 'red' names a color and 'setter' names a type of dog, so the meaning 'a setter with a red/chestnut coat' is transparently derived from its parts. This color+breed naming pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Red setter comes from the dog's job and its colour. A setter was a hunting dog that would 'set'—lie still—when it found birds so the hunter could catch them. The word red describes the dog's reddish-brown coat, so red setter means a red hunting dog.