water dog

noun

1
: a person (such as a skilled sailor) who is quite at ease in or on water
2
: any of several large American salamanders
especially : any of a genus (Necturus of the family Proteidae) with external gills

Examples of water dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But in the proper state of mind, the book snaps like a dirty water dog — not as a stunning expose, but as a black comedy. Patrick Sauer, Washington Post, 26 July 2024 Since the Moscow water dog was a mix of Newfoundland and Caucasian shepherds, the military unsuccessfully attempted to mitigate their aggressive nature by breeding more Newfoundland into the bloodline, as their nature was gentler. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023 Helle Lauvring, 60, was thrilled that her four-year-old Spanish water dog, Cookie, was among the three canines to be chosen. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023 As water dogs, the Labradors are drawn to that beachfront as well. Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023 Is that a water dog thing? Bernhard Warner, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2020 Watch a land dog meet a water dog for the first time! Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 10 Aug. 2022 The poodle -- a water dog known for its distinctive curly fur -- pawed its way to the top five for the first time since 1997, beating out the bulldog. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 20 Mar. 2022 So far, training her to be a great water dog has been mostly a success, and this life jacket has certainly played a role. Ebony Roberts, Outside Online, 11 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of water dog was in 1652

Dictionary Entries Near water dog

Cite this Entry

“Water dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20dog. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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