Standard Lemma guide

sheepdog

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of various breeds of dog used for herding sheep; an individual of such a breed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shepherd dog

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: herding dog, working dog, working animal, animal, creature

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any of various breeds of dog used for guarding sheep; an individual of such a breed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A chaperon; an adult who accompanies other people in a supervisory role.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A police officer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, slang

Topics: government, law-enforcement

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To chaperon or shepherd.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

any of various usually long-haired breeds of dog reared to herd and guard sheep

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shepherd dog, sheep dog

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: working dog

Narrower terms: Belgian sheepdog, Belgian shepherd, briard, kelpie, komondor, Old English sheepdog, bobtail, Shetland sheepdog, Shetland sheep dog, Shetland, collie, Border collie, Bouvier des Flandres, Bouviers des Flandres, Rottweiler, German shepherd, German shepherd dog, German police dog, alsatian

History

Etymology

From sheep + dog.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: deltar — dog used for herding sheep
  • Armenian: հովվաշուն (hovvašun) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Avestan: 𐬞𐬀𐬯𐬎𐬱⸱ 𐬵𐬀𐬎𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀 (pasuš. hauruua) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Azerbaijani: çoban iti — dog used for herding sheep
  • Azerbaijani: ovçu iti — dog used for herding sheep
  • Basque: artzain txakur — dog used for herding sheep
  • Chagatai: توبات (tûbât) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Cornish: ki deves — dog used for herding sheep
  • Danish: fårehund — dog used for herding sheep
  • Dutch: herdershond — dog used for herding sheep
  • Esperanto: ŝafhundo — dog used for herding sheep
  • Faroese: seyðahundur — dog used for herding sheep
  • Finnish: lammaskoira — dog used for herding sheep
  • French: chien de berger — dog used for herding sheep
  • Georgian: ნაგაზი (nagazi) — dog used for herding sheep
  • German: Schäferhund — dog used for herding sheep
  • German: Schäferhündin — dog used for herding sheep
  • German: Hirtenhund — dog used for herding sheep
  • German: Hirtenhündin — dog used for herding sheep
  • Greek: τσοπανόσκυλο (tsopanóskylo) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Hungarian: juhászkutya — dog used for herding sheep
  • Icelandic: fjárhundur — dog used for herding sheep
  • Irish: madra caorach — dog used for herding sheep
  • Italian: cane da pastore — dog used for herding sheep
  • Japanese: 牧羊犬 (bokuyōken) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Kazakh: төбет (töbet) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Korean: 목양견 (mogyanggyeon) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Low German: Scheperhund — dog used for herding sheep
  • Luxembourgish: Schéiferhond — dog used for herding sheep
  • Malay: anjing gembala — dog used for herding sheep
  • Malay: anjing herder — dog used for herding sheep
  • Manx: coo keyrragh — dog used for herding sheep
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fårehund — dog used for herding sheep
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fårehund — dog used for herding sheep
  • Polish: owczarek — dog used for herding sheep
  • Portuguese: cão-pastor — dog used for herding sheep
  • Portuguese: ovelheiro — dog used for herding sheep
  • Romanian: câine ciobănesc — dog used for herding sheep
  • Romanian: câine de stână — dog used for herding sheep
  • Russian: овча́рка (ovčárka) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Scottish Gaelic: cù-chaorach — dog used for herding sheep
  • Slovene: ovčar — dog used for herding sheep
  • Spanish: perro pastor — dog used for herding sheep
  • Swedish: fårhund — dog used for herding sheep
  • Tajik: саги чӯпонӣ (sag-i čüponi) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Turkish: çoban köpeği — dog used for herding sheep
  • Ottoman Turkish: چوبان كوپكی (çoban köpeği) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Ukrainian: вівча́рка (vivčárka) — dog used for herding sheep
  • Vietnamese: chó chăn cừu — dog used for herding sheep
  • Volapük: galedanadog — dog used for herding sheep
  • Volapük: galedanahidog — dog used for herding sheep
  • Volapük: galedanajidog — dog used for herding sheep
  • Welsh: ci defaid — dog used for herding sheep
Real reading context

sheepdog in complete knowledge articles