Tarrier

//ˈtæɹi.ə// adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A layabout or loiterer; someone who tarries.
  2. 2
    Obsolete form of terrier (“kind of dog”). alt-of, obsolete

    "I then had the two best tarriers beneath the canopy; this poor crater is their daughter," and he patted the dog's head affectionately."

  3. 3
    A Roman Catholic of Northern Ireland or Scotland. UK, derogatory, slang

    "Wouldnae even offer Jock Stein – your greatest ever manager – a seat on the board 'cause he wasnae a Tarrier."

Adjective
  1. 1
    comparative form of tarry: more tarry comparative, form-of

Synonyms

All synonyms
bumdo-nothingdogfuckerdosserfaineantflaneur

Antonyms

All antonyms
doer

Example

More examples

"Wouldnae even offer Jock Stein – your greatest ever manager – a seat on the board 'cause he wasnae a Tarrier."

Etymology

Etymology 1

The Roman Catholic slang variation is possibly derived from Saint Erasmus being labeled as a "tarrier of time" before torture and execution for his beliefs.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Related phrases

roman catholic

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.