hound

Definition

A dog, particularly a breed with a good sense of smell developed for hunting other animals.

Etymology

From Middle English hound, from Old English hund, from Proto-West Germanic *hund, from Proto-Germanic *hundaz, from pre-Germanic *ḱuntós (compare Latvian sùnt-ene (“big dog”), enlargement of Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”). Doublet of canine. In 14th-century England, hound was the general word for all domestic canines, and dog referred to a subtype resembling the modern mastiff and bulldog. By the 16th century, dog had become the general word, and hound had begun to refer only to breeds used for hunting.

Example Sentences

• "On the way out of the building I was asked for my autograph. If I'd known who the signature hound thought I was, I would've signed appropriately."
• "I still do not know if he's taken on this case because he's a glory hound, because he wants the PR, or if he simply wanted to help Anna."
• ""She had a good many successors, John." "You are such a hound, in that respect, Goodson," said Claywell, "and you have always been such a hound, that it astounds me to find you—unaccompanied.""