What is "spaniel"

Dog \Dog\ (d[o^]g), n. [AS. docga; akin to D. dog mastiff, Dan. dogge, Sw. dogg.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) A quadruped of the genus Canis, esp. the domestic dog ( Canis familiaris).

   Note: The dog is distinguished above all others of the inferior animals for intelligence, docility, and attachment to man. There are numerous carefully bred varieties, as the akita, beagle, bloodhound, bulldog, coachdog, collie, Danish dog, foxhound, greyhound, mastiff, pointer, poodle, St. Bernard, setter, spaniel, spitz dog, terrier, German shepherd, pit bull, Chihuahua, etc. There are also many mixed breeds, and partially domesticated varieties, as well as wild dogs, like the dingo and dhole. (See these names in the Vocabulary.)

2. A mean, worthless fellow; a wretch.

   What is thy servant, which is but a dog, that he should do this great thing? -- 2 Kings viii. 13 (Rev. Ver. )

3. A fellow; -- used humorously or contemptuously; as, a sly dog; a lazy dog. [Colloq.]

4. (Astron.) One of the two constellations, Canis Major and Canis Minor, or the Greater Dog and the Lesser Dog. Canis Major contains the Dog Star (Sirius).

5. An iron for holding wood in a fireplace; a firedog; an andiron.

6. (Mech.)

   1. A grappling iron, with a claw or claws, for fastening into wood or other heavy articles, for the purpose of raising or moving them.

   2. An iron with fangs fastening a log in a saw pit, or on the carriage of a sawmill.

   3. A piece in machinery acting as a catch or clutch; especially, the carrier of a lathe, also, an adjustable stop to change motion, as in a machine tool.

7. an ugly or crude person, especially an ugly woman. [slang]

8. a hot dog. [slang]

   Note: Dog is used adjectively or in composition, commonly in the sense of relating to, or characteristic of, a dog. It is also used to denote a male; as, dog fox or g-fox, a male fox; dog otter or dog-otter, dog wolf, etc.; -- also to denote a thing of cheap or mean quality; as, dog Latin.

   A dead dog, a thing of no use or value.
   --1 Sam. xxiv. 14.

   A dog in the manger, an ugly-natured person who prevents others from enjoying what would be an advantage to them but is none to him.

   Dog ape (Zo["o]l.), a male ape.

   Dog cabbage, or Dog's cabbage (Bot.), a succulent herb, native to the Mediterranean region ( Thelygonum Cynocrambe).

   Dog cheap, very cheap. See under Cheap.

   Dog ear (Arch.), an acroterium. [Colloq.]

   Dog flea (Zo["o]l.), a species of flea ( Pulex canis) which infests dogs and cats, and is often troublesome to man. In America it is the common flea. See Flea, and Aphaniptera.

   Dog grass (Bot.), a grass ( Triticum caninum) of the same genus as wheat.

   Dog Latin, barbarous Latin; as, the dog Latin of pharmacy.

   Dog lichen (Bot.), a kind of lichen ( Peltigera canina) growing on earth, rocks, and tree trunks, -- a lobed expansion, dingy green above and whitish with fuscous veins beneath.

   Dog louse (Zo["o]l.), a louse that infests the dog, esp. H[ae]matopinus piliferus; another species is Trichodectes latus.

   Dog power, a machine operated by the weight of a dog traveling in a drum, or on an endless track, as for churning.

   Dog salmon (Zo["o]l.), a salmon of northwest America and northern Asia; -- the gorbuscha; -- called also holia, and hone.

   Dog shark. (Zo["o]l.) See Dogfish.

   Dog's meat, meat fit only for dogs; refuse; offal.

   Dog Star. See in the Vocabulary.

   Dog wheat (Bot.), Dog grass.

   Dog whelk (Zo["o]l.), any species of univalve shells of the family Nassid[ae], esp. the Nassa reticulata of England.

   To give to the dogs, or To throw to the dogs, to throw away as useless. ``Throw physic to the dogs; I'll none of it.''
   --Shak.

   To go to the dogs, to go to ruin; to be ruined.

late 13c., as a surname meaning "Spaniard;" as a name for a breed of dog supposedly of Spanish origin, late 14c., from Old French (chien) espagneul, literally "Spanish (dog)," from Vulgar Latin *Hispaniolus "of Spain," diminutive of Latin Hispanus "Spanish, Hispanic" (see Spaniard). Used originally to start game; the breed was much-developed in England in 17c. Whether it is actually originally Spanish is uncertain.

n. 1 Any of various small 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 retrieve game. 2 A cringing, fawning person. vb. To follow loyally or obsequiously, like a spaniel.

n. any of several breeds of small to medium-sized gun dogs with a long silky coat and long frilled ears

A spaniel is a type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retrieve water fowl shot down with arrows. Land spaniels were setting spaniels—those that crept forward and pointed their game, allowing hunters to ensnare them with nets, and springing spaniels—those that sprang pheasants and partridges for hunting with falcons, and rabbits for hunting with greyhounds. During the 17th century, the role of the spaniel dramatically changed as Englishmen began hunting with flintlocks for wing shooting. Charles Goodall and Julia Gasow (1984) write that spaniels were "transformed from untrained, wild beaters, to smooth, polished gun dogs."

The word spaniel would seem to be derived from the medieval French espaigneul"Spanish"modern French, espagnol.

Spaniel (1828–1833) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. In a career that lasted from July 1830 to early 1833 he ran eighteen times and won nine races. After an unsuccessful season as a two-year-old he made significant improvement in 1831 to win his first three races, culminating in the Epsom Derby. Spaniel failed to win again for over a year but then recovered to win five races on Welsh racecourses in 1832. He died after being injured on his first start as a five-year-old in 1833.