What does "setter" mean?
Setter: (Zoöl.) A hunting dog of a special breed originally derived from a cross between the spaniel and the pointer. Modern setters are usually trained to indicate the position of game birds by standing in a fixed position, but originally they indicated it by sitting or crouching. Note: There are several distinct varieties of setters; as, the Irish, or red, setter; the Gordon setter, which is usually red or tan varied with black; and the English setter, which is variously colored, but usually white and tawny red, with or without black.
Additional senses
- 2.One who hunts victims for sharpers. Shak.
- 3.One who adapts words to music in composition.
- 4.An adornment; a decoration; -- with off. [Obs.] They come as . . . setters off of thy graces. Whitlock.
- 5.(Pottery) A shallow seggar for porcelain. Ure.
- 6.To cut the dewlap (of a cow or an ox), and to insert a seton, so as to cause an issue. [Prov. Eng.]
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00