Molossers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Refers to large, typically mastiff-type dogs known for their strength and guarding qualities; can also denote members of an ancient group of people from the region of Epirus in Greece; sometimes used figuratively to describe something bulky or powerful
2. Describes a category of robust, muscular dog breeds with a history as protectors and hunters; signifies an ancient tribal people from northwestern Greece famed in classical history; applied metaphorically to express sturdiness or imposing presence
3. Indicates a breed group of big, heavy-set dogs often used as guard dogs; pertains to a historical ethnic group called the Molossians in ancient Greece; utilized symbolically to represent massiveness or fortified character

Etymology: "Molossers" is simply the plural of "molosser", a large guard or shepherd dog. The singular comes from Molossia, a region of ancient Epirus in what is now northwestern Greece, where a powerful breed of big working dog was known as a Molossus. The ancient Greeks and Romans prized these dogs for guarding flocks and households, and the Molossian breed had a reputation for courage and strength that made its name stick to the region's dogs. The name of the dogs thus traces back to a place rather than to a description of the animal's qualities. English took the regional name and turned it into a common noun for any heavy guard dog of similar build, so a word tied to a small mountain kingdom now refers to dogs across the world.

Synonyms: mastiffs, guard dogs, bulldogs, canines, dog breeds