Cur | |||||||||||||
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![]() Painting by Sydenham Edwards, 1800 | |||||||||||||
![]() Engraving by Thomas Bewick, 1791 | |||||||||||||
Other names | Cur dog, drover's dog | ||||||||||||
Origin | England | ||||||||||||
Breed status | Extinct | ||||||||||||
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Dog (domestic dog) |
A cur was a dog breed used by cattle drovers in England. The breed is now extinct. In the United States, a short-haired dog used in hunting and herding is called "cur-tailed", or "cur" for short.
In modern speech, the term cur is usually used to describe a mongrel dog, particularly if its temperament is unfriendly or aggressive.[1][2][3] The term is believed to be derived from the Old Norse kurra, meaning 'to grumble or growl'.[1][2][3] In Victorian speech, cur could be used as an insult.[4]
Oxford
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