tarrier
/ˈtæɹi.ə/
"tarrier" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tarrier” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A layabout or loiterer; someone who tarries.
Corpus desk
Index EN-tarrier · tarrier · English
tarrier · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "T" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tarrier |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtæɹi.ə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “tarrier” in English
Rare enough to double-check
tarrier is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtæɹi.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
tarrier has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: The Roman Catholic slang variation is possibly derived from Saint Erasmus being labeled as a "tarrier of time" before torture and execution for his beliefs. The correct English form is tarrier, spelled T-A-R-R-I-E-R.
Definition
- 1A layabout or loiterer; someone who tarries.
- 2A Roman Catholic of Northern Ireland or Scotland.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how tarrier appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Wouldnae even offer Jock Stein – your greatest ever manager – a seat on the board 'cause he wasnae a Tarrier.
It was the Irish “tarriers” working on the railroad that provided the context for the folk ballad that began […]
Etymology
The Roman Catholic slang variation is possibly derived from Saint Erasmus being labeled as a "tarrier of time" before torture and execution for his beliefs.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.