spaniel

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   any of several breeds of small to medium-sized gun dogs with a long silky coat and long frilled ears

   The spaniel flushed the birds from the long grass.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Spaniel comes from Old French espaigneul, “Spanish dog,” reflecting the breed’s Spanish origin. The breed’s reputation for submissiveness led to an adjectival use first recorded in the early 17th century.

From Middle English spaynol, from Old French espaigneul (modern French épagneul), from Old Occitan espaignol, from Vulgar Latin *Hispāniolus (“Spanish”), from Hispānia (“Spain”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary