Spitz

/spits/, n.

Mark (Andrew), born 1950, U.S. swimmer: winner of seven gold medals in 1972 summer Olympic Games.

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Any of several northern dogs, including the chow chow, Pomeranian, and Samoyed, characterized by a dense, long coat, erect pointed ears, and a tail that curves over the back.

In the U.S., the name is often given to any small, white, long-haired dog; it is also used for the American Eskimo dog. European breeds include the Finnish spitz, with a bright reddish brown coat, and the Lapland spitz, which has a white, brown, or blackish coat.

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▪ dog

   any of a group of northern dogs (dog)—such as the chow chow, Pomeranian, and Samoyed—characterized by dense, long coats, erect pointed ears, and tails that curve over their backs. In the United States the name spitz is often given to any small, white, long-haired dog. It is also used for the American Eskimo dog, an all-white breed that resembles a small Samoyed.

      There are a number of dogs known as spitz. Among these are the Finnish spitz, the Eskimo dog, the Greenland dog, and the Lapland spitz.

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