kelpie

1 of 2

noun (1)

kel·​pie ˈkel-pē How to pronounce kelpie (audio)
: any of a breed of energetic working dogs developed in Australia from British sheepdogs

kelpie

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a water sprite of Scottish folklore that delights in or brings about the drowning of wayfarers

Examples of kelpie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
One of the couple's three dogs, a kelpie mix named Zinna, was also found dead in a crate in a bathroom closet near Arakawa, while two other dogs survived. arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025 Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's dog Zinna, a kelpie mix, was also found dead in the couple's home on February 26. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025 Authorities are also awaiting necropsy results to determine how the couple’s kelpie mix died. Dalia Faheid, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025 The 65-year-old musician picked up her dog from a veterinarian on Feb. 9, which Mendoza said could explain why the Australian kelpie mix was in a crate when it was found dead in the Santa Fe home along with the Hackmans. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025 But according to reports from the Associated Press and USA Today, the dog found deceased was not the couple's German Shepherd, Bear, but instead was their kelpie mix, named Zinna. Liam Quinn, People.com, 5 Mar. 2025 The couple’s German shepherd, named Bear, survived along with a second dog named Nikita, but their kelpie mix, Zinna, died, according to Joey Padilla, owner of the Santa Fe Tails pet care facility that is involved in the surviving dogs’ care. Morgan Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025 The couples’ kelpie mix, Zinna, is the dog that was reportedly found dead. Rebecca Schneid, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025 Brumm also owned a dalmatian named Chloe and an Australian red kelpie named Rusty, who was originally the main character of the series before being re-written as a close friend of Bluey’s. Liz Regalia, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Kelpie, name of a dog of this breed

Noun (2)

perhaps from Scottish Gaelic cailpeach, colpach heifer, colt

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1903, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1747, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kelpie was in 1747

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Cite this Entry

“Kelpie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelpie. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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