Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small roundheaded dogs that occur in short-coated and long-coated varieties

Examples of Chihuahua in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kansas City is the only team to hold Chihuahua to two goals in a game all season. —Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2025

The Chihuahua, pug, and shih tzu are among the breeds included in the toy group. —Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025

Owen and Olive, meanwhile, are German shorthaired pointer half-siblings, and Bella is an Italian greyhound/Chihuahua mix. —Nicholas Rice, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025

The Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog in the world, with a height of up to eight inches and weighing as much as six pounds. —Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish, from Chihuahua, Mexico

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small large-eared dogs that originated in Mexico

Etymology

named for Chihuahua, a state in Mexico

Geographical Definition

Chihuahua

geographical name

Chi·​hua·​hua chē-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

chə-,

-wə

1

state of northern Mexico bordering on the U.S. (Texas and New Mexico) area 95,400 square miles (247,086 square kilometers), population 3,406,465

2

city, and capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua metropolitan area population 819,543