Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Contemporary (2000–) ·1989
Labradoodle
labrador poodle
- Meaning
- A labrador–poodle crossbreed, bred for the poodle's low-shedding coat.
- Source words
- labrador + poodle
- Coined by
- Wally Conron, Royal Guide Dog breeder
- Year
- 1989
Background
Bred intentionally in 1989 for a vision-impaired client whose husband was allergic to dogs. Conron later said he regretted it — the crossbreed sparked a designer-dog boom that outran the animals' welfare.
Contemporary (2000–)
Faster coinage, faster canonisation. Brexit and podcast both reached the OED within a decade of first use — historically rapid. Social media has made visibility, not invention, the rate-limiting step.
Two words, one coinage.
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