See Also: mastiff(medicine)
mastiff(1)(dictionary)
mastiff(2)(dictionary)
mastiff(encyclopedia)
mastiff(dictionary)

mastiff(2) (iou)



mastiff noun. ME.
[Obscurely repr. Old French mastin (mod. matin) from Proto-Romance from Latin mansuetus (earlier mansues) tamed, tame: see MANSUETE.]
A breed of large strong dog with a large head, drooping ears, and pendulous lips, used as a watchdog; a dog of this breed. Also mastiff dog.
bull-mastiff: see BULL noun1 & adjective. Tibetan mastiff: see TIBETAN adjective.
Comb.: mastiff bat any of numerous heavily built bats with a broad muzzle that belong to the family Molossidae and occur in warmer parts of the world; esp. an American bat of the genus Molossus or the genus Eumops.