Illustration of dachshund
dachshund
noun
dachs·hund
ˈdäks-ˌhu̇nt 
-ˌhu̇nd
-ˌhu̇nd
ˈdäk-sənt;
especially British ˈdak-sənd
: any of a breed of long-bodied, short-legged dogs of German origin that occur in short-haired, long-haired, and wirehaired varieties
Examples of dachshund in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lost dogs rarely capture international attention, but the world has watched and waited for updates on the search for Valerie, a miniature dachshund missing in the Australian wilderness.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
About 50 dogs of different breeds, such as dachshunds and St. Bernards, listened to the recordings in a room with their owners' backs to them.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Sitting on top of the bottom tier was a peekaboo puppy, a figurine of the couple's English cream dachshund named Tony.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
But roughly a year after Valerie went missing, reports started coming in of a small dachshund on Kangaroo Island, wearing a pink collar.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dachshund
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
About 50 dogs of different breeds, such as dachshunds and St. Bernards, listened to the recordings in a room with their owners' backs to them.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Sitting on top of the bottom tier was a peekaboo puppy, a figurine of the couple's English cream dachshund named Tony.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025
But roughly a year after Valerie went missing, reports started coming in of a small dachshund on Kangaroo Island, wearing a pink collar.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dachshund
Cite this Entry
“Dachshund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dachshund. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dachshund
noun
dachs·hund
ˈdäks-ˌhu̇nt
ˈdäk-sənt
ˈdäk-sənt
: 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.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share