| / English Dictionary |
MASTIFF
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An old breed of powerful deep-chested smooth-coated dog used chiefly as a watchdog and guard dog
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("mastiff" is a kind of...):
working dog (any of several breeds of usually large powerful dogs bred to work as draft animals and guard and guide dogs)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mastiff"):
Tibetan mastiff (very large powerful rough-coated dog native to central Asia)
Context examples:
I walked with intrepidity five or six times before the very head of the cat, and came within half a yard of her; whereupon she drew herself back, as if she were more afraid of me: I had less apprehension concerning the dogs, whereof three or four came into the room, as it is usual in farmers’ houses; one of which was a mastiff, equal in bulk to four elephants, and another a greyhound, somewhat taller than the mastiff, but not so large.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
The mastiff shook his head, growled hoarsely, and plunged at White Fang.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
White Fang had never seen such a dog (it was a mastiff); but the size and fierce aspect of the intruder did not deter him.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
In the end, while Beauty Smith beat White Fang back with a club, the mastiff was dragged out by its owner.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
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