From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishterrierter‧ri‧er /ˈteriə $ -ər/ noun [countable] 
HBADHPa small active type of dog that was originally used for hunting
HBADHPa small active type of dog that was originally used for huntingExamples from the Corpus
terrier• A gangling mixed breed of Labradors and mongrel hounds and terriers.• Also sharing the house, a fox terrier called Leo.• Shaw ordered a sculpture of his champion fox terrier, and Bayard Warren a portrait of his champion Sealyham.• Glebe terriers, cathedral records, borough records and tax returns can also be of value.• Them there the Metropolitans would fight like terriers to protect.• There was no sign of the terriers.• The terriers bounded along ahead on their short legs.Origin terrier (1400-1500) French (chien) terrier “earth dog, terrier”, from terrier “of earth”, from Medieval Latin terrarius, from Latin terra ( → TERRACE); because it hunts by digging into animals' holes 