1
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs usually having long wavy hair, feathered legs and tail, and large drooping ears
2
: a fawning servile person
Examples of spaniel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, the Boykin spaniel is celebrated as South Carolina's official state dog—loved for its loyalty, intelligence, and spirited nature—as Clemmy's joyful antics clearly show.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
As the Dodgers made their way to Japan ahead of a pair of games with the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday, news programs tracked the team’s charter flight across the Pacific Ocean, and fans speculated about whether Ohtani had brought his spaniel, Decoy.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
Roszak has undoubtedly gained plenty of four-legged friends across the neighborhood, including corgis, golden retrievers, Newfoundlands, spaniels, and even Great Danes.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Dogs like the German wire-haired pointer are great at hunting for quarry, while spaniels are better at flushing birds and waterfowl.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spaniel
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.
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
As the Dodgers made their way to Japan ahead of a pair of games with the Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday, news programs tracked the team’s charter flight across the Pacific Ocean, and fans speculated about whether Ohtani had brought his spaniel, Decoy.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2025
Roszak has undoubtedly gained plenty of four-legged friends across the neighborhood, including corgis, golden retrievers, Newfoundlands, spaniels, and even Great Danes.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Dogs like the German wire-haired pointer are great at hunting for quarry, while spaniels are better at flushing birds and waterfowl.
—Justin Gest, Newsweek, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spaniel
Cite this Entry
“Spaniel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spaniel. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spaniel
noun
span·iel
ˈspan-yəl 
: a member of any of several breeds of small or medium-sized mostly short-legged dogs that usually have long wavy hair and large drooping ears
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share