One of a breed of small dogs, which includes several distinct subbreeds, some of which, such as the Skye terrier and Yorkshire terrier, have long hair and drooping ears, while others, at the English and the black-and-tan terriers, have short, close, smooth hair and upright ears.
any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground
a dog that is capable of going to earth and to which you dig to when you are hunting
a hunting dog who chases the quarry into its hole or tunnel, fights it there, and brings it back out
A small dog bred to hunt rodents, rabbits, and other small game.
The name terrier is derived from the French 'terre', meaning earth. The terrier's role is not to fight with its quarry, but to locate it underground and to bark at it continuously, either causing it to leave the earth or alternatively to indicate where in the earth the quarry is located – in order that it can be dug to.
A dog originally used for hunting vermin
The terrier is a group of dog breeds initially bred for hunting and killing vermin. While usually small, these dogs are brave and tough, and have a lively, energetic, and almost hyperactive personality.
Terrier is a young adult fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the first book in the Provost's Dog trilogy and the fifteenth book set in the Tortall Universe. It tells the story of Rebekah (Beka) Cooper, the ancestor of George Cooper from Song of the Lioness and Alianne from Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen. It is set 200 years prior to the bulk of the Tortall novels.