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# terrier

«terrier» in Mova's school dictionary: **A small or medium-sized, lively dog first bred to hunt…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a terrier, terriers)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A small or medium-sized, lively dog first bred to hunt and dig out small animals such as rats, rabbits and foxes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#m1)

2) (figurative) A person who is very determined and does not give up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In pet and science lessons, terriers are a group of dog breeds: Jack Russell, Scottie (Scottish terrier), Westie, Yorkshire terrier, Irish terrier, Australian terrier. They are energetic, brave and love to dig. In sport talk, a player who chases every ball is «a real terrier». Phrases: «Jack Russell terrier», «Yorkshire terrier», «like a terrier».

### examples

- Our terrier loves digging holes in the garden. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x1)
- A Jack Russell is a small terrier. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x2)
- Terriers were bred to catch rats. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x3)
- The terrier barked at the postman. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x4)
- She chased the story like a terrier. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x5)
- Yorkshire terriers are tiny dogs with long silky hair. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x6)
- The little terrier was brave and full of energy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/#x7)

### note

Spelling: double «r»: terrier. Not «terror» (great fear) and not «territory», though the word comes from the Latin for «earth», because terriers dig in the ground.

### In the corpora

- [Kieran's nan's terrier Mitzi has bitten two people, so she wears a muzzle when visitors come.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/459-the-dog-that-wags-at-last-and-the-one-that-never-does/23/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «terrier» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/terrier/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.