: any of a breed of long-bodied, short-legged dogs of German origin that occur in short-haired, long-haired, and wirehaired varieties
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Sitting on top of the bottom tier was a peekaboo puppy, a figurine of the couple's English cream dachshund named Tony.—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025 But roughly a year after Valerie went missing, reports started coming in of a small dachshund on Kangaroo Island, wearing a pink collar.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025 Most events are centered in Carolyn Crayton Park, with concerts, rides, games and a dachshund race.—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025 Volunteers and wildlife experts are trying to lure in a miniature dachshund named Valerie on Kangaroo Island, a 1,700-square-mile outpost off the coast of South Australia.—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dachshund
: any of a breed of dogs of German origin with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears
Etymology
from German Dachshund "dachshund," literally, "badger dog," from Dachs "badger" and Hund dog
Word Origin
The dachshund is a dog with short legs and a long history. The breed was developed in Germany more than a thousand years ago to hunt burrowing animals such as badgers. With its short legs and long, powerful body, the dachshund could follow a badger right down into its hole. It could even fight with the badger underground. The German name for the breed was Dachshund, a compound of Dachs, meaning "badger," and Hund, "dog." This German name was borrowed directly into English.
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