fox terrier

Noun

fox terrier (plural fox terriers)

1. Either of two breeds of dog (the smooth fox terrier and the wire fox terrier) bred for fox hunting.
   • One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, pages 46–47
   • After our fox-terrier had killed several of the Stationmaster's chickens and a peace offering had been made by my father in the form of cigars, I found that the way had been made clear for me to visit the junction box, and what a thrill it was.1948 March and April, 'Aella', “First Steps in a Railway Career”, in Railway Magazine, page 91

   Synonyms:

   foxie