bernard

IPA/ˌseɪnt ˈbɜː.nəd/
KK[bɚnˈɑrd]IPA/ˌseɪnt bɚˈnɑːrd/

bernard — noun

  • bernardsingular
  • bernardsplural

1. A giant working dog with a thick brown-and-white double coat, bred at Alpine mon

1.nounB1
Definition

A giant working dog with a thick brown-and-white double coat, bred at Alpine monasteries in Switzerland to locate and help people stranded in mountain snow.

Example

Arjun adopted a gentle St. Bernard from the local animal shelter last spring.

adopt + St. Bernard — typical verb pairing

The young Bernard wagged its tail when Dario offered it a piece of biscuit.

Bernard used as breed name with definite article

Common collocations
  • gentle Bernard
  • massive Bernard
  • loyal Bernard
  • adopt a Bernard
  • own a Bernard
  • raise a Bernard
  • Bernard rescues
  • Bernard guides
Synonyms
  • St. Bernard

    The most common full form of the breed name; 'St.' is an abbreviation for 'Saint'.

  • Saint Bernard

    The formal, written-out version of the breed name; more common in official documents.

  • alpine rescue dog

    A descriptive term for the breed's historic working role rather than a direct synonym.

Grammar Patterns

a Bernard

Bernards

the Bernard

Usage Note

The breed is most commonly called a St. Bernard or Saint Bernard; the shortened form 'Bernard' is also used and is typically capitalised when referring to the breed.

Common Mistakes

I named my cat Bernard.' (when referring to the breed)
I adopted a St. Bernard last year.
'Bernard' as a breed noun should describe the type of dog, not function as a pet name.

Word family

  • St. Bernard
    nounB1
  • Saint Bernard
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Both 'St. Bernard' and 'Saint Bernard' refer to the same dog breed — 'St.' is simply the standard abbreviation for 'Saint', used in everyday speech and writing, while 'Saint Bernard' is the full formal name found in kennel-club documents and breed registries. 'Rescue dog' is a much wider category that covers any dog trained to find people in emergency situations; many breeds serve in this role, whereas the Saint Bernard is one specific breed with a long history of alpine rescue work dating back to the 17th century. For example, you would say 'The Saint Bernard is a recognised breed by the American Kennel Club' but 'The search team brought in three rescue dogs, including a Border Collie and a German Shepherd.'

St. BernardSaint Bernardrescue dog

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • St. Bernard dog
  • Saint Bernard breed
  • Bernard puppy

Prepositions

  • of (a breed of Bernard)

Etymology

Germanic (Bernard)Latin (Saint)French (St. Bernard Pass)English

The breed is named after the Great St. Bernard Pass in the Swiss Alps, where a hospice run by monks — dedicated to Saint Bernard of Menthon (c. 1020–1081) — kept these large dogs for rescue work as early as the 17th century. The personal name Bernard comes from Germanic origins, combining 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, strong), meaning 'brave as a bear'.