What does yorkie mean?
A yorkie is an informal English name for a Yorkshire terrier, a small, energetic toy dog recognized by its long blue-and-tan coat, silky hair, and upright ears. The shortened name is widely used in conversation, advertisements, pet-related contexts, and the naming of individual dogs, while “Yorkshire terrier” remains the formal name of the breed. Yorkies are known for being lively, affectionate, and alert despite their small size, although individual temperaments vary. More rarely, the word can refer informally to a person from Yorkshire, the northern English county associated with the breed’s development. In this second sense, the term may sound affectionate and familiar, though it can also carry a playful or stereotypical regional nuance. Overall, yorkie is a useful everyday word best understood as the familiar short form of Yorkshire terrier, with a secondary geographic meaning that is much less common.
nounAn informal name for a Yorkshire terrier, a small terrier breed. Less commonly, it is an informal term for a person from Yorkshire.
- An informal name for a Yorkshire terrier, a small toy-sized terrier breed.
- An informal term for a person from Yorkshire, England.
"Their yorkie entertained the guests by racing after every fallen crumb."
"The yorkie was curled up beside the radiator after its walk."
"That yorkie from the neighboring farm knew every footpath across the village."
The regular plural is used for both a Yorkshire terrier and, in the rarer person sense, a person from Yorkshire.
"The three yorkies barked whenever the post arrived."
A tiny dog with a giant nickname: “yorkie” comes from the full, unmistakably northern name “Yorkshire terrier.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yorkie
The word is an informal shortening of “Yorkshire terrier,” which is named for Yorkshire, a historic county in northern England. The small terrier breed bearing that name was developed in Yorkshire during the 19th century, and the shortened form “yorkie” became established in ordinary English usage. The element “York” also underlies related forms such as Yorkshireman and Yorkshirewoman.
How yorkie is actually used
Informal and affectionate rather than technical. In the dog sense, it is especially common in everyday speech; the formal breed name is Yorkshire terrier. The regional-person sense is also informal and can sound familiar, teasing, or mildly stereotyped.
Easily confused with yorkie
Yorkshire is the name of the historic English county, whereas a yorkie is usually a dog of the Yorkshire terrier breed and, less commonly, a person from that county.