Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

terrier

/ˈtɛɹiə/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.24 in modern English

Syllables
ter-ri-er
IPA
/ˈtɛɹiə/
7
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A dog from a group of small, lively breeds, originally bred for the hunting of burrowing prey such as rats, rabbits, foxes, and even otters; this original function is reflected in some of their names (e.g. rat terrier).

noun

Someone displaying terrier-like qualities such as determined pursuit.

noun

A collection of acknowledgments of the vassals or tenants of a lordship, containing the rents and services they owed to the lord, etc.

noun

An inventory (book or roll) in which the lands of private persons or corporations are described by their site, boundaries, number of acres, etc.; a terrar.

noun

An auger or borer.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French chien terrier (“terrier dog”), from chien (“dog”) + Old French terrier (“of earth”, adjective), from Medieval Latin terrarius (“of earth”), from Latin terra (“earth”).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈtɛɹiə/
  • British English: /ˈtɛɹiə/

Inflected Forms

terriers (plural) tarrier (alternative)

Derived Forms

terrierlike terrierman

Phrases

Aberdeen terrier Airedale terrier American hairless terrier Bedlington Terrier Boston terrier Brazilian terrier bull terrier cairn terrier

Frequently Paired Words

periplus periegesis

Rhymes With

scarier harrier merrier perrier ferrier farrier verrier guerrier berrier

Questions

How do you pronounce terrier?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹiə/.
What does terrier mean?
A dog from a group of small, lively breeds, originally bred for the hunting of burrowing prey such as rats, rabbits, foxes, and even otters; this original function is reflected in some of their names (e.g. rat terrier).
Where does terrier come from?
It is traced to Middle French.

How to pronounce terrier

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “terrier”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtɛɹiə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “terrier”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “terrier” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.