spaniel(n = noun.animal) - any of several breeds of small to medium-sized gun dogs with a long silky coat and long frilled ears;
is a kind of gun dog, sporting dog
has particulars: brittany spaniel, clumber, clumber spaniel, field spaniel, springer, springer spaniel, cocker, cocker spaniel, english cocker spaniel, sussex spaniel, water spaniel

1.  One of a breed of small dogs having long and thick hair and large drooping ears. The legs are usually strongly feathered, and the tail bushy. See Illust. under Clumber, and Cocker. [1913 Webster]
" There are several varieties of spaniels, some of which, known as field spaniels, are used in hunting; others are used for toy or pet dogs, as the Blenheim spaniel, and the King Charles spaniel (see under Blenheim). Of the field spaniels, the larger kinds are called springers, and to these belong the Sussex, Norfolk, and Clumber spaniels (see Clumber). The smaller field spaniels, used in hunting woodcock, are called cocker spaniels (see Cocker). Field spaniels are remarkable for their activity and intelligence." [1913 Webster]
"As a spaniel she will on him leap." [1913 Webster]

2.  A cringing, fawning person. Shak. [1913 Webster]

   Cringing; fawning. Shak. [1913 Webster]

   To fawn; to cringe; to be obsequious. Churchill. [1913 Webster]

   To follow like a spaniel. [1913 Webster]

spaniel, n.
1 a a dog of any of various breeds with a long silky coat and drooping ears. b any of these breeds.
2 an obsequious or fawning person.

Etymology:
ME f. OF espaigneul Spanish (dog) f. Rmc Hispaniolus (unrecorded) f. Hispania Spain

N  servility, slavery, obsequiousness, subserviency, abasement, prostration, prosternation, genuflection, fawning, tuft- hunting, timeserving, flunkeyism, sycophancy, humility, sycophant, parasite, toad, toady, toad-eater, tufthunter, snob, flunky, flunkey, yes-man, lapdog, spaniel, lickspittle, smell-feast, Graeculus esuriens, hanger on, cavaliere servente, led captain, carpet knight, timeserver, fortune hunter, Vicar of Bray, Sir- Pertinax, Max Sycophant, pickthank, flatterer, doer of dirty work, ame damnee, tool, reptile, slave, courtier, beat, dead beat, doughface, heeler, homme de cour, sponger, sucker, tagtail, truckler, servile, obsequious, supple, supple as a glove, soapy, oily, pliant, cringing, abased, dough-faced, fawning, slavish, groveling, sniveling, mealy-mouthed, beggarly, sycophantic, parasitical, abject, prostrate, down on ones marrowbones, base, mean, sneaking, crouching, hat in hand, cap in hand.

N  animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.

american water spaniel, blenheim spaniel, brittany spaniel, clumber spaniel, cocker spaniel, english cocker spaniel, english springer spaniel, english toy spaniel, field spaniel, irish water spaniel, japanese spaniel, king charles spaniel, norfolk spaniel, springer spaniel, sussex spaniel, toy spaniel, water spaniel, welsh springer spaniel