[Understood to be derived from the ancient Eng. family name Talbot: see quot. 1906 in sense 1; but evidence is wanting.
Chaucer has Talbot as the name of an individual dog; and in quot. c. 1449, John Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, is called ‘Talbott oure goode dogge’ (in allusion to the badge of the family: see sense 2); but it is not clear what is the nature of the connection between these applications, or which of the senses 1 and 2 was the earlier.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 562. Colle oure dogge, and Talbot and Gerland.
c. 1449. in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 222. He is bownden that oure dore shuld kepe, That is Talbott oure goode dogge]
1. Name of a variety of hound, formerly used for tracking and hunting; a large white or light-colored hound, having long hanging ears, heavy jaws, and great powers of scent.
1562. Leigh, Armorie, 96 b. A Talbot with coller and Lyame, these houndes pursue the foote of pray, by sente of ye same, orels by ye bloud thereof.
1615. Markham, Country Contentm. I. 5. The black hound, the black laund,… or the milk white, which is the true Talbot, are best for the string or lyam, for they doe delight most in blood, and haue a naturall inclination to hunt dry-foot.
1654. Wase, trans. Gratii Falisci Cynegeticon, B ij b. Then match them well; and thus a noble seed Derive, these parents will your Talbot [L. Metagonta] breed.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 23. Sagax, a Blood-hound, or Talbot.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Talbot, a kind of Hound or Hunting-Dog.
1735. Somerville, Chase, I. 290. The bold Talbot kind Of these the prime, as white as Alpine snows.
1870. Blaine, Encycl. Rur. Sports, § 1428. The talbot … is supposed to be the original stock from whence all the varieties of the scent hunting hounds are derived.
1906. Blackw. Mag., Sept., 381/1. The same white hounds were brought to England by the head of the Talbot family, and rapidly gaining credit for their qualities in the chase of the stag … were known as Talbots.
2. A representation of a hound or hunting-dog; esp. in Her. that which has been borne for many centuries by the Talbot family.
1491. N. C. Wills (Surtees, 1908), 62. A standing cupp of silver parcell gilt with talbottes at the fete.
1537. Will Geo. Talbot, Earl Shrewsbury, Ibid., 145. ij paier of pottes with flatt Talbottes upon the cover, ij paier of pottes with standing Talbottes upon the cover.
1562. [see 1].
1603. Drayton, Bar. Wars, II. xxvii. Behold the Eagles, Lyons, Talbots, Beares, The Badges of your famous Ancestries.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xvi. 147. Hee beareth Or, a Fesse Dauncette, between three Talbottes passant, Sable, by the name of Carrick.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 184/2. He beareth Gules, a Talbott, (or Blood-hound, or hunting hound) Or.
1884. Mag. Art, Jan., 102. Another drinking vessel … is in form of a ‘talbot,’ or dog, seated, and richly collared.
† 3. Name of a dish in cookery. Obs.
c. 1430. Two Cookery Bks., 19. Talbottys.—Take an Hare, an fle hem clene; þen take þe blode, & Brede, an Spycery, an grynde y-fere, & drawe it vppe with þe brothe [etc.].
4. Comb. as talbot-like adj.
1615. Markham, Country Contentm., I. 5. A large, heauy, slow, true Talbot-like hound.
