setter

/ˈsɛdər/

/ˈsɛtə/

Other forms: setters

A setter is a breed of dog that's sporty and good at hunting. Most setters are energetic, friendly dogs with long, silky hair.

Setters have been around since the 1400s, bred to be experts at catching the scent of a pheasant or quail in the air. Well-trained Irish and English setters assist hunters by standing absolutely still when they smell game birds, originally crouching or setting to indicate where they were. Another kind of setter is someone who places, or sets, the letters and numbers in typeface, lining up the words in a newspaper headline before it's printed, for example.

Definitions of setter

1. noun

   one who sets written material into type
   synonyms: compositor, typesetter, typographer

   type of:

   pressman, printer

   someone whose occupation is printing
2. noun

   a long-haired dog formerly trained to crouch on finding game but now to point
   types:

   English setter

   an English breed having a plumed tail and a soft silky coat that is chiefly white

   Irish setter, red setter

   an Irish breed with a chestnut-brown or mahogany-red coat

   Gordon setter

   a Scottish breed with a black-and-tan coat

   type of:

   gun dog, sporting dog

   a dog trained to work with sportsmen when they hunt with guns