Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Sheep-biter

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A sheepdog that worries (chases or attacks) sheep. obsolete

    "What curre will not bawle, & be ready to flye on a mans face, when he is set on by his master, who, if hee bee not by to encourage him, he casts his taile betwixt his legges, & steales away like a sheepe byter."

  2. 2
    A contemptible person, especially one who practices petty thefts. derogatory, figuratively, obsolete

    "His gait, like a sheep-biter, fleering aside"

Etymology

sheep + biter (“one who bites”). Figurative term possibly influenced by the fable "De cane oves domini sui occidente, a quo suspensus est" in Hecatomythium by Laurentius Abstemius (later included with Aesop's Fables as "A Sheep-Biter Hang'd" — see quotations).

See also for "sheep-biter"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: sheepbiter