: any of a breed of long-bodied, short-legged dogs of German origin that occur in short-haired, long-haired, and wirehaired varieties
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Prince Harry's grandmother was a dog lover who owned dozens of corgis during her lifetime and is even credited with inventing the dorgi breed, or dachshund-corgi mix.—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 The Italian brand has customized furniture and decor with its signature dachshund logo scattered throughout in the form of wooden sculptures and graphic upholstery and wallpapers.—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 19 Dec. 2025 One day, the wire-haired dachshund mix was home in Antelope.—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025 The largest groups of dog breeds entered into the competition include 149 golden retrievers, 143 dachshunds, 110 French bulldogs, 106 Chihuahuas, 105 Australian shepherds, 100 Labrador retrievers, 82 whippets, 65 Rhodesian ridgebacks, 60 Pomeranians, 58 Chinese cresteds, and 57 pugs.—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dachshund
: any of a breed of dogs of German origin with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears
Etymology
from German Dachshund "dachshund," literally, "badger dog," from Dachs "badger" and Hund dog
Word Origin
The dachshund is a dog with short legs and a long history. The breed was developed in Germany more than a thousand years ago to hunt burrowing animals such as badgers. With its short legs and long, powerful body, the dachshund could follow a badger right down into its hole. It could even fight with the badger underground. The German name for the breed was Dachshund, a compound of Dachs, meaning "badger," and Hund, "dog." This German name was borrowed directly into English.
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