greyhound

American  

[grey-hound] / ˈgreɪˌhaʊnd /

Or grayhound

noun

• greyhounds
  plural

1. one of a breed of tall, slender, short-haired dogs, noted for its keen sight and swiftness.

2. a swift ship, especially a fast ocean liner.

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greyhound British  

/ ˈɡreɪˌhaʊnd /

noun

1. a tall slender fast-moving dog of an ancient breed originally used for coursing

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• greyhounds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of greyhound

before 1000; Middle English greihund, grehund, grihund, Old English grīghund < Old Norse greyhundr; compare Old Norse grey bitch; see hound ¹

Compare meaning

How does greyhound compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Saluki vs. greyhound

Explanation

A greyhound is a long-legged, elegant dog that's known for its speed. Historians believe greyhounds are one of the oldest dog breeds. Dogs resembling greyhounds decorate many ancient Egyptian tombs and Neolithic settlement walls, suggesting that this sleek, muscular dog has been around for thousands of years. In the 20th century, greyhounds were commonly bred for racing — they can run steadily at speeds over 40 miles per hour. Retired racing greyhounds also make sweet companions, and as the sport has declined in the U.S., more and more greyhounds have lived their whole lives as coddled pets. Interestingly, the grey part of the word is of disputed origin, but it does not refer to the dogs' color — as most greyhounds are not gray.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

greyhound greyhounds

Its velvet binding has metal corner guards bearing her crowned falcon with a lion rampant, dragon and greyhound, and Anne’s motifs recur in the illuminations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Kiwis are still able to bet on Australian greyhound racing, which has a larger commercial presence.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The MSP insisted greyhound racing was not a "harmless hobby enterprise", and added that Scotland "cannot be left behind" as other countries have banned the sport.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie told parliament that the government was confident that greyhound racing "on oval tracks exposes dogs to significant risks that cannot be eliminated by other measures".

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

A woman at the table enthuses about greyhound racing, the speed, the charge she feels watching it.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Officials have confirmed 80 greyhounds were exported from New Zealand to Queensland through a chartered flight in April 2025.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

"In an attempt to solve the rehoming crisis, the racing industry had devised a program of sending retired greyhounds to the US and Canada," Field said.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Approximately 1,400 greyhounds will retire in New Zealand under the ban and require rehoming.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

It was first synthesized from thymosin β4 in 2003 and has since been used to help horses and greyhounds improve racing performance.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

There were half a dozen black and white alaunts, which locked like greyhounds with the heads of bull-terriers or worse.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White