A dog kept tied or chained up, either to guard a house, or because fierce; = bandog, n. (In last quot. figurative.)

originally. A dog tied or chained up, either to guard a house, or on account of its ferocity; hence gen. a mastiff, bloodhound.

(a) a dog restrained by a chain; (b) a chain having at each end a ‘dog’ or hook, which is driven into logs to fasten them together into a raft (Fu…