Forms: 5 terrere, terryare, 6 terryer, taryer, terrour, 7 terriar, terrar, tarier, tarriar, tarryer, 7–8 (9 vulgar) tarrier, 6– terrier. [a. F. (chien) terrier, also as subst. terrier ‘a hunting-dog used to start badgers, etc., from their earth or burrow’ (cf. TERRIER3) = med.L. terrārius, f. terra earth (see prec.).]
1. A small, active, intelligent variety of dog, which pursues its quarry (the fox, badger, etc.) into its burrow or earth; the numerous breeds are distinguished into two classes, the short- or smooth-haired, as the fox-terrier, black and tan terrier, etc., and the long- or rough-haired, as the Scotch terrier, Skye terrier, etc. (See also BULL-TERRIER, TOY terrier, etc.) Formerly also terrier dog.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 489/1. Terrere, hownde (v.r. terryare), terrarius.
1530. Palsgr., 279/2. Taryer a dogge. Ibid., 280/1. Terryer a dogge. chien terrier.
1576. A. Fleming, trans. Caius’ Dogs, i. (1880), 4. Or the Dogge called Terrar, in Latine Terrarius. Another sorte … which hunteth the Foxe and the Badger or Greye onely, whom we call Terrars, because they … creepe into the grounde.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., II. v. 871. An open table for all kinde of dogges. He hath your … Terriers, Butchers dogs, Bloud-hounds.
1644–7. Cleveland, Char. Lond. Diurn., 3. Who filter to unkennell the Fox, then the Tarryer, that is a part of him.
1648. Hunting of Fox, 25. Like so many Tarriars we must fasten upon them with tooth and nail.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., II. 166. The tarrier is a small kind of hound with rough hair.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxii. A rough terrier dog … scampered at large.
1862. Huxley, Lect. Wkg. Men, 110. It is a physiological peculiarity … that impels the terrier to its rat-hunting propensity.
1863. H. Kingsley, A. Elliot, v. Rough long-legged English fox terriers, which ran on three legs, like Scotch terriers, and held their heads on one side knowingly.
b. fig.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 695/1. We shall … set in such terryers to him, that we shall … eyther course him abrode or make him euyll rest within.
c. 1622. Ford, etc., Witch Edmonton, I. ii. Bonds and bills are but tarriers to catch fools.
1779–81. Johnson, L. P., Otway, Wks. II. 220. Hunted … by the terriers of the law.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxiii. The opening quest of a well-scented terrier of the law drove me from the vicinity of Edinburgh.
† 2. A name given to certain beavers said to burrow instead of building. Obs.
1733. Mortimer, in Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 177. He [Sarrasin in Mem. Acad. Sci., Paris, 1704, p. 64] says there are some Beavers called Terriers [Castors terriers], which burrow in the Earth.
1781. Pennant, Hist. Quad., II. 384. They [Beavers] are met with dispersed, or in the state of Terriers, in the wooded parts of independent Tartary. Ibid. (1784), Arct. Zool., I. 103.
3. A punning appellation for a territorial: see TERRITORIAL 4 b. (Cf. TERRY sb.2)
1908. Daily Chron., 31 March, 5/3. It may … be argued that ‘Territorial’ is not very much longer than ‘Volunteer,’ but it is just the little that makes all the difference…. [Of three suggestions, ‘Terror,’ ‘Terrier,’ ‘Torral,’ it was] yesterday rather thought that ‘Terrier’ would carry the day. Ibid., 18 June, 3/4. Next year, which will be the jubilee of the force now known as the ‘Terriers,’ to distinguish them from the ‘Tommies.’
1908. Daily News, 5 Aug., 4. The admirable spirit in which his [Mr. Haldane’s] ‘Terriers,’ as the wit of London has nicknamed our Home Army, have met the [etc.].
4. attrib. That is a terrier; of or like a terrier. (For terrier dog see 1.) Also in comb., as terrier-like adj.
1788. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Toper & Flies, viii. Wks. 1812, I. 519.
| There, Terrier-like till Pages find him out, | |
| He pokes his most sagacious nose about, | |
| And seems in Paradise. |
1809. Scott, Lett. to G. Ellis, 8 July, in Lockhart. A terrier puppy of the old shaggy Celtic breed.
1858. Lewis, in Youatt, Dog (N. Y.), v. 109. The imaginary beauty of a terrier crop consists in the foxy appearance of the ears.
1894. Blackmore, Perlycross, 292. Endowed with the terrier nose of suspicion.
1895. Scully, Kafir Stories, 133. He had a wiry and terrier-like appearance.
