spaniel
/ˈspænjəl/ noun, verb
Forms spaniels spanieling spanielling spanieled spanielled
- noun Any of various small to medium-sized breeds of gun dog having a broad muzzle, long, wavy fur and long ears that hang at the side of the head, bred for flushing and retrieving game.
- noun A cringing, fawning person.
- verb (intransitive) To follow loyally or obsequiously, like a spaniel.
Etymology
From Middle English spaynol, from Old French espaigneul (modern French épagneul), from Old Occitan espaignol, from Vulgar Latin *Hispāniolus (“Spanish”), from Hispānia (“Spain”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun One of a breed of small dogs having long and thick hair and large drooping ears. The legs are usually strongly feathered, and the tail bushy. See Illust. under Clumber, and Cocker.
- noun A cringing, fawning person. Shak.
- adjective Cringing; fawning. Shak.
- verb To fawn; to cringe; to be obsequious. [R.] Churchill.
Etymology [OF. espagneul, F. épagneul, espagnol Spanish, Sp. españnol, fr. España Spain, from L. Hispania.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “spaniel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details