Mastiff Definition

măstĭf
mastiffs
noun
Any of a breed of large, powerful dog with hanging lips and drooping ears and having a short, thick, often fawn-colored coat, dark on the muzzle, nose, and ears: formerly used for hunting, now often a watchdog and guard dog.
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Mastiff

Noun

Singular:
mastiff
Plural:
mastiffs

Origin of Mastiff

  • Middle English mastif alteration (perhaps influenced by Old French mestif mongrel) of Old French mastin from Vulgar Latin (canis) mānsuētīnus tame (dog) from Latin mānsuētus past participle of mānsuēscere to tame manus hand man-2 in Indo-European roots suēscere to accustom s(w)e- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • An aberrant derivation from Old French mastin (modern French mâtin), from Vulgar Latin *mansuetÄ«nus (“tamed (animal)"), from Latin mansuetus (“tamed").

    From Wiktionary

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