mastiff
a breed of dog – powerfully built large body, short coat (hair) mostly in pale brown or fawn (different sub-breeds have different colours), with black on the muzzle (mouth and nose part), ears and around eyes, most sub-breeds have drooping ears, loose skin folds hanging from the jaws, strong straight legs, thick tail (some sub-breeds have upturned tail, some have straight down tails); size: 3-3½ feet tall at the shoulder, 4-5 feet long, and weight: 45-90 Kg (males larger than females); feeds on (eats) the dog food given by the masters (owners); lives for about — years; found in most parts of the world
Mastiffs are not only large, powerful and courageous dogs but also gentle, patient and affectionate.
Mastiffs are one the world’s best five guard dogs, and are popular pet dogs!
The best way to describe them is to say that “what the lion is to the cat family, the mastiff is to the dog family!”
Mastiffs have appeared in several story books, TV serials and in motion pictures (films).
1.
though the mastiff be gentle, bite him not by the lip [a piece of advice not to provoke (make somebody angry or annoyed) someone who easily becomes angry even when he is in good mood]
2.
to oppose Preston and his mastiffs = to fight against someone too strong
3.
as dutch as a mastiff (‘dutch’ = unintelligible; not clearly understood) [said of someone who pretends innocence after having done some mischief]
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