collie

American  

[kol-ee] / ˈkɒl i /

noun

1. one of a breed of dogs having a usually long, black, tan, and white or sable and white coat, raised originally in Scotland for herding sheep.

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collie British  

/ ˈkɒlɪ /

noun

1. any of several silky-coated breeds of dog developed for herding sheep and cattle See Border collie rough collie bearded collie

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Other Word Forms

• collielike adjective

Etymology

Origin of collie

1645–55; perhaps Scots colle coal (in reference to the original coloration of the breed) + -ie; compare Middle English Colle dog's name

Compare meaning

How does collie compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Shetland sheepdog vs. collie

Example Sentences

Sheepdog Bowie, a collie and Australian Kelpie mix, has been farmer Thomas Conway's right-hand dog on his cattle and sheep farm in Park, County Londonderry, for the last four years.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

Runner-Up: I also let Instagram totally inundate me with border collie videos.

From Slate • Dec. 28, 2024

She jumped out of bed in her nightgown, chased after her 10-year-old border collie, Henry Valentine, and ran to her car in a pair of sandals.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2024

“I wasn’t sure it was possible,” said Hornor, an agility trainer from Ellicott City, Maryland, who won the agility contest last year with a border collie named Truant.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

Throughout the collie and shepherd years we kept a succession of drowsy, secretive cats that seemed to enjoy a unique bond with our mother.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris