collie

noun

col·​lie ˈkä-lē How to pronounce collie (audio)
: any of a breed of large dogs developed in Scotland that occur in rough-coated and smooth-coated varieties and have erect ears and a long muzzle

Illustration of collie

Illustration of collie

Examples of collie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then, 14-year-old Prince Vincent leaned down to show off a trick — and the border collie did a handshake with a paw, drawing coos from the crowd. Jillian Frankel, People.com, 27 May 2025 Some dogs, especially Border collies, are able to learn more complex words, that don't necessarily need to be commands, like names of specific toys. Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 Among them is Kristen Hoyt, 31, who captured the hilarious moment her Border collie and pit bull mix, George, leaped onto her friend's lap during an important Zoom call. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024 The most-popular service dog breeds include Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, Border collies, and Australian shepherds. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for collie

Word History

Etymology

probably from English dialect colly black

First Known Use

circa 1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of collie was circa 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Collie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collie. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

collie

noun
col·​lie ˈkäl-ē How to pronounce collie (audio)
: any of a breed of large dogs developed in Scotland for herding sheep

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