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Irish setter
noun
: any of a breed of bird dogs resembling English setters but with a glossy mahogany-red coat
Examples of Irish setter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Former presidents Richard Nixon and Harry Truman, along with former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, all had Irish setters.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024
Go back a half-century, and the third most popular breed was the Irish setter — now 76th.
—CBS News, 20 Mar. 2024
There were several outbuildings, including a guest house and a large kennel, where Will kept English and Irish setters.
—David Owen, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2024
See dignitaries and honorees, floats, high school marching bands, police and fire department units, Irish community groups, dancing groups, equestrian units, clowns, antique cars, Irish setters, and more.
—Cathi Douglas, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023
For most of the 20th century, breeders focused so exclusively on the Irish setter’s conformation that finding a red dog that could hunt was like finding a leprechaun.
—Kyle Wintersteen, Field & Stream, 30 Jan. 2023
One duty Haney has also taken on has been walking the first family's dogs, beginning with Nixon's Irish setter, King Timahoe.
—Kyle Swenson, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Oct. 2022
There was Honey, the Irish setter whose fatal habit was chasing cars.
—Sarah Paley, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Irish setter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1812, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Irish setter
Cite this Entry
“Irish setter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Irish%20setter. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
Irish setter
noun
: any of a breed of bird dogs having a mahogany-red coat
More from Merriam-Webster on Irish setter
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Irish setter
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