Lhasa apso

noun

Lha·​sa ap·​so ˈlä-sə-ˈäp-(ˌ)sō  ˈla-sə-ˈap- 

plural Lhasa apsos

often capitalized A

: any of a Tibetan breed of small dogs that have a dense coat of long hard straight hair, a heavy fall over the eyes, heavy whiskers and beard, and a well-feathered tail curled over the back

called also Lhasa

Illustration of Lhasa apso

Examples of Lhasa apso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a tent reserved for grooming, a Lhasa apso was carefully flat-ironed while several miniature poodles were sculpted into sudsy topiaries. —Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 13 May 2024

And how did pugs and poodles, Lhasa apsos and Labradors come to be? —Rosie Mestel, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

Yet Bailey lived in a compound surrounded by animals and, with his wife, introduced the Lhasa apso terrier into Britain. —Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Lhasa, Tibet + Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) ə̄bsɔɔ̀ (written Tibetan absog) small hairy dog, Lhasa apso

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above