Meaning & use
Samoyed
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A large dog with a thick white or cream coat, a friendly face, and a tail that curls over its back.
Grammar: Countable: one Samoyed, two Samoyeds. Often capitalized as a breed name.
Patterns
- a Samoyed dog
- own a Samoyed
My neighbor walks her Samoyed every morning in the park.
Samoyeds are known for their thick white coats and gentle nature.
nouncountableoffensiveold-fashioned
A member of a group of peoples living in northern Siberia and speaking related languages.
Grammar: Countable: one Samoyed, two Samoyeds. Now often avoided; 'Nenets' is preferred for the largest group.
Patterns
- the Samoyed people
- a Samoyed
The term 'Samoyed' was historically used for several northern Siberian peoples.
Modern scholars prefer specific names like Nenets instead of the old label Samoyed.
Word forms
| plural | Samoyeds |
|---|
Common combinations
- Samoyed dog
- The Samoyed dog won first prize at the show.
- Samoyed puppy
- They adopted a Samoyed puppy last spring.
- Samoyed breed
- The Samoyed breed is known for its smile.
- white Samoyed
- A white Samoyed stood guard by the door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Sammy
- Informal short form for the dog breed; use in casual speech, not in formal writing.
- Nenets
- A specific Siberian people; more accurate and preferred over 'Samoyed' for the ethnic group.
Commonly confused: Samoyed or Samoan?
Samoyed vs Samoan
Samoan relates to Samoa, a Pacific island nation, while Samoyed refers to a dog breed or a Siberian people.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Samoyed' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Samoyed is a dog breed, so sentence 0 is correct. The others confuse it with unrelated nouns like a dress, car, or fruit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Samoyed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.