Meaning & use
Dandie Dinmont terrier
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small Scottish dog with short legs, a long body, drooping ears and a soft topknot of hair on its head.
Grammar: Countable: a Dandie Dinmont terrier, two Dandie Dinmont terriers.
Patterns
- a Dandie Dinmont terrier
The Dandie Dinmont terrier has a rounded head with a fluffy topknot.
We saw a Dandie Dinmont terrier at the dog show.
Dandie Dinmont terriers are rare and often considered vulnerable.
Word forms
| plural | Dandie Dinmont terriers |
|---|
Common combinations
- Dandie Dinmont terrier puppy
- A Dandie Dinmont terrier puppy is hard to find.
- breed a Dandie Dinmont
- She breeds Dandie Dinmont terriers in Scotland.
- pepper or mustard coat
- A Dandie Dinmont terrier comes in a pepper or mustard coat.
- Dandie Dinmont topknot
- The topknot is the breed's best feature.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Scottish terrier
- A Scottish terrier is a different, taller breed with a wiry black coat.
- Skye terrier
- Skye terrier has long flowing hair, while the Dandie Dinmont has a short, crisp coat and a topknot.
- Cairn terrier
- Cairn terriers are shaggy and upright, unlike the long, low Dandie Dinmont.
Word family
- terrier noun
- a type of small, lively dog
- breed noun
- a type of dog
- topknot noun
- hair gathered on the top of the head
Commonly confused: Dandie Dinmont terrier or Skye terrier?
Dandie Dinmont terrier vs Skye terrier
A Skye terrier has long hair hanging down, while a Dandie Dinmont has a short coat and a topknot.
Practice
Which feature best describes a Dandie Dinmont terrier?
Choose one answer.
The breed is known for its topknot and short legs. The other options describe other types of dog.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Dandie Dinmont terrier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.