springer spaniel
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˈsprɪŋər ˈspæn.jəl/
:
springer spaniel
- Jake, a 7-year-old chocolate lab and springer spaniel mix, is going to need a new home soon.
- English springer spaniel
- Welsh springer spaniel
- white springer spaniel
Examples
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For a moment, he considers Duke, their English springer spaniel, but he's much too small to sit on and never does anything you ask him to.
Fiction book (2001) -
It was a springer spaniel named Peaches 2.
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Then he let the springer spaniels in the house, and then he ordered a pizza, and Eric paid for it.
Fiction book (1994) -
Yeah, I lost a white springer spaniel with brown spots on, named Kirby.
-
Mr. Jimbo was the springer spaniel, brown and white, that followed the kid around.
Fiction book (1999) -
Great big springer spaniel.
-
The dog, a sad-looking springer spaniel who leaned into her legs, was Cleveland, she said.
Fiction book (2002) -
His father, up for hours out of habit, had finished his coffee and was just clipping the leash on Parson, their springer spaniel.
Fiction book (1998) -
It included a good likeness of a springer spaniel peeking out from under the table and a red and blue parrot in a cage.
Fiction book (2002) -
The energetic springer spaniel eagerly chased after the ball during the training session.
Synonyms
6
7.2
A large hunting dog with a wavy coat that finds and scares birds
1
3.4
A medium-sized dog with a black-and-white or brown-and-white coat used for hunting and bringing back birds
A type of dog with a black and white coat that helps hunters by finding and bringing game
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a breed of spaniel used for flushing game' is directly derivable from combining 'springer' (a spaniel bred for flushing game) with 'spaniel' (a type of dog): it is a straightforward noun–noun compound naming a dog breed. This compositional pattern is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Springer spaniel comes from the dog's old job. A springer was a dog that would 'spring' birds—make them fly out of bushes—so hunters or other dogs could catch them, and spaniel shows it is a type of hunting dog, so today the name means a lively breed made to find and fetch birds.