Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small roundheaded dogs that occur in short-coated and long-coated varieties

Examples of Chihuahua in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By her side is a tiny, golden-brown Chihuahua named Jam, with bright-green eyes. —Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024

Marcel is a 15-year-old Chihuahua adopted from Friends With Four Paws. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024

Over the next few years, the native of Chihuahua, Mexico, earned two James Beard nominations and opened several more restaurants, including Super Mega Bien, Cantina Loca and now Carne. —Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2024

While Great Danes often stand around 32 inches tall, a Chihuahua’s average height is under 9 inches. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish, from Chihuahua, Mexico

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small large-eared dogs that originated in Mexico

Etymology

named for Chihuahua, a state in Mexico

Geographical Definition

Chihuahua

geographical name

Chi·​hua·​hua chē-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

chə-,

-wə

1

state of northern Mexico bordering on the U.S. (Texas and New Mexico) area 95,400 square miles (247,086 square kilometers), population 3,406,465

2

city, and capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua metropolitan area population 819,543