Forms: 5–7 band-dogge, 5 bande doge, bon-, bonde dogge, 6 band-dogg, 6–7 band-dog, bandogge, 7 ban-dogg, 6– ban-dog, bandog. [f. BAND sb.1 6 = fastening + DOG.] orig. A dog tied or chained up, either to guard a house, or on account of its ferocity; hence gen. a mastiff, bloodhound.
c. 1425. in Wright’s Voc., 187. Molosus, band-dogge.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 43. Bondogge (1499 bonde dogge), Molosus.
c. 1560. Thersites, in Hazl., Dodsl., I. 399. The bandog Cerberus from hell he bare away.
1577. Harrison, England, III. vii. 44. The mastiffe, tie dog, or banddog, so called bicause manie of them are tied up in chaines … for dooing hurt abroad.
1669. Etheredge, Love in Tub, IV. iii. As fierce as a Ban-dog that has newly broke his chain.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, V. xxxvi. As the bull, at bay, Tosses the ban-dogs from his way.
b. fig.; also in phr. To speak bandog and Bedlam: i.e., furiously and madly.
1600. Dekker, Gentle Craft, Wks. 1873, I. 19. O master, is it you that speak bandog and Bedlam this morning?
1610. Chester’s Tri., Envie, 12. Thou envious Bandogge, speake and doe thy worst.
1645. Ussher, Body of Div. (1647), 376. Letting loose Satan, his band-dog, to … molest the godly.
1829. Scott, Anne of G. (1833), I. 133. He was usually spoken of as the bandog of Burgundy, or the Alsatian mastiff.
c. attributive or appositive.
1616. Beaum. & Fl., Wit without M., V. i. Bitten with bandog-fleas.
1629. H. Burton, Babel no Bethel, Ep. Ded. 9. All the band-dog heresies of hell were let loose.
