spaniel

noun

span·​iel ˈspan-yəl How to pronounce spaniel (audio)
 also  ˈspa-nᵊl
1
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs usually having long wavy hair, feathered legs and tail, and large drooping ears
2
: a fawning servile person

Examples of spaniel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The spaniel, adorned with a glittering crown, was filmed comfortably seated at the table, clearly part of the community and cherished by all. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 There are owls peeking out from a bathroom’s wallpaper, wooden parrots staring down from the posters of a bed, and ceramic spaniels sitting atop a stack of coffee table books. Paola Singer, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2024 Jetson, a Tibetan spaniel demands to go to the dog park every day at 6:30 a.m., said Patty Ann Bryant, his owner. Richard Ruelas, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024 On Thursday, his caseload included doing acupuncture on five cats, a Clumber spaniel named Aspen and a guinea pig named Pony; vaccinating a 14-year-old Bichon Frisé named Cabo San Lucas and doing a checkup on a 30-pound, 12-week-old Bernese mountain dog. Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for spaniel 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English spaynel, spaniell, from Anglo-French espainnel, alteration of espaignol Spaniard, from Vulgar Latin *Hispaniolus, from Latin Hispania Spain

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spaniel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spaniel

Cite this Entry

“Spaniel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spaniel. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spaniel

noun
span·​iel ˈspan-yəl How to pronounce spaniel (audio)
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs that usually have long wavy hair and large drooping ears

More from Merriam-Webster on spaniel

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