Australian-shepherd definition
A dog of a medium-sized breed developed in the western United States to herd livestock, having a variously colored coat and a short tail.
noun
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Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
australian-shepherd
Plural:
australian-shepherdsOrigin of australian-shepherd
- Perhaps from a mistaken belief that the breed originated in Australia
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Selectively bred shepherding dogs mainly of European stock, misnamed from some interbreeding of Australian dogs imported to California during the Gold Rush.
From Wiktionary