Meanings
- rareThe letter R, which was trilled in Latin, imitating the sound of a snarling dog.
R: SOME call this the dog's letter, upon account of its harsh and rough pronunciation;[…]
1735, Thomas Dyche, New General English Dictionary […], published 1798, page 1802 more examples
R is the Dog's letter, and hurreth in the sound; the tongue striking the inner palate, with a trembling about the teeth.
1640, Samuel Ramsey, The English Language and English Grammar, New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, translation of original by Ben Jonson, published 1892, page 168And in this short query the dog's letter, the r, whirred through the air, like the ricket of a pheasant rising;[…]
1858, Rosina Bulwer Lytton, The World and His Wife, Or, A Person of Consequence […], volume 2, London: Charles J. Skeet, page 19
Origin
- Latinlittera canīna
- Englishdog's letter
Calque of Latin littera canīna.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Latin littera canīna
- littera canīnathe letter R
Polish psia litera
- psia literathe letter R
Cite this entry
dog's letter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dog's%20letter
“dog's letter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dog's%20letter. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dog's letter,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dog's%20letter.
Source: dog's letter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.