hound

[ hound ]

/ haʊnd /

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See synonyms for: hound / hounded / hounding on Thesaurus.com

noun

one of any of several breeds of dogs trained to pursue game either by sight or by scent, especially one with a long face and large drooping ears.

Informal. any dog.

Slang.

an unpleasant, mean, or despicable person.
a man who chases women; a promiscuous man.

Informal. an ardent fan or devotee: an autograph hound.

one of the pursuers in the game of hare and hounds.

verb (used with object)

to hunt or track with hounds, or as a hound does; pursue.

to pursue or harass without respite: Her little brother wouldn't stop hounding her.

to incite (a hound) to pursuit or attack; urge on.

Informal. to incite or urge (a person) to do something (often followed by on): The committee has been hounded on by those who want these repairs done immediately.

OTHER WORDS FOR hound

6 dog, follow, chase, trail; tail.

7 pester, annoy, persecute; bully.

See synonyms for hound on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about hound

follow the hounds, Fox Hunting. to participate in a hunt, especially as a member of the field.

ride to hounds, Fox Hunting. to participate in a hunt, whether as a member of the field or of the hunt staff.

Origin of hound

First recorded before 900; Middle English h(o)und, Old English hund; cognate with Dutch hond, Old Norse hundr, Danish, Swedish hund, German Hund, Gothic hunds; akin to Latin canis, Greek kýōn (genitive kynós ), Sanskrit śván (genitive śunas ), Old Irish cú (genitive con ), Welsh ci (plural cwn ), Tocharian A kū, Lithuanian šuõ

OTHER WORDS FROM hound

hound·er, nounhound·ish, hound·y, adjectivehound·like, adjectiveun·hound·ed, adjective

Words nearby hound

Houghton, Houghton-le-Spring, houhere, Houma, hoummos, hound, hound dog, houndfish, hounding, hound's-tongue, hound's tooth

Other definitions for hound (2 of 2)

hound²

[ hound ]

/ haʊnd /

noun

Nautical. either of a pair of fore-and-aft members at the lower end of the head of a mast, for supporting the trestletrees, that support an upper mast at its heel.Compare cheek (def. 12).

a horizontal bar or brace, usually one of a pair, for strengthening the running gear of a horse-drawn wagon or the like.

Origin of hound

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English houn(e), hune, from Old Norse hūnn “knob at the top of a masthead”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hound in a sentence

Thank you, Glitch, our lanky old hound from New Orleans, for knowing the right moment to put your head on my angsting husband’s knee.
Zoom dates? Election nights? Sourdough? Nope. Dogs are the heroes of this pandemic.|Petula Dvorak|January 25, 2021|Washington Post
I’m crazy about my hound dog, and we’ve suddenly been given this singular time to go through every moment of his old age together.
I have the pandemic to thank for this precious time with my old hound, Teddy|Diana Nyad|December 21, 2020|Washington Post
My partner and I first began searching for unpopular trails a few years ago in Connecticut when we got a high-energy rescue hound who needed a lot of off-leash exercise.
The Case for Hiking Ugly Trails|Krista Karlson|November 21, 2020|Outside Online
Even if you’re more powder hound than ski racer, a little expert help can identify bad habits and make you a safer, more solid skier.
6 Easy Ways to Be a Better Skier|Heather Hansman|October 1, 2020|Outside Online

Now critics have lit their torches and unleashed the hounds.
Strange Casting: On Zoë Saldana and Authenticity in Hollywood|Truthbetold|April 24, 2016|TruthBeTold.news
The Hound is begging her to kill him, but she won't grant him his last wish.
‘Game of Thrones’ Star Maisie Williams on Arya Stark’s S4 Journey and Her Crush on Andrew Garfield|Marlow Stern|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sandor “The Hound” Clegane was left to die of a ferocious ass-whooping.
Valar Morghulis: Game of Thrones’ Women Are Going to Rule the World|Scott Bixby|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the end, the joke was on both of them: Brienne lost track of Arya and The Hound was “killed by a woman.”
Best ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Yet|Andrew Romano|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But The Hound is just hungry, and no one gets between the scarred warrior and a meal.
Game of Thrones’ 8 Most Gruesome Deaths: From The Mountain’s Exploding Head Kill to Rat Torture|Marlow Stern|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the end of the fourth season premiere, Arya and The Hound stumble upon a tavern in the woods.
Game of Thrones’ 8 Most Gruesome Deaths: From The Mountain’s Exploding Head Kill to Rat Torture|Marlow Stern|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He frowned, and bent his head, and his long hair fell over his face, while the poor Stuttgardter sat there like a beaten hound.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Death comes in, the bread at the feast turns black, the hound falls down—and so on.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
As they entered, a liver-coloured hound that lay stretched before the fire growled lazily, and showed the whites of his eyes.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Presently he heard the deep baying of the hound, and soon the enemy appeared, under a bright moon.
King Robert the Bruce|A. F. Murison
I called to him loudly, in the vain hope he might look back, as though at a time like this a hound would turn from the trail.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

British Dictionary definitions for hound (1 of 2)

hound¹

/ (haʊnd) /

noun

any of several breeds of dog used for hunting
(in combination)an otterhound; a deerhound

the hounds a pack of foxhounds, etc

a dog, esp one regarded as annoying

a despicable person

(in hare and hounds) a runner who pursues a hare

slang, mainly US and Canadian an enthusiastan autograph hound

short for houndfish See also nursehound

ride to hounds or follow the hounds to take part in a fox hunt with hounds

verb (tr)

to pursue or chase relentlessly

to urge on

Derived forms of hound

hounder, noun

Word Origin for hound

Old English hund; related to Old High German hunt, Old Norse hundr, Gothic hunds

British Dictionary definitions for hound (2 of 2)

hound²

/ (haʊnd) /

noun

either of a pair of horizontal bars that reinforce the running gear of a horse-drawn vehicle

nautical either of a pair of fore-and-aft braces that serve as supports for a topmast

Word Origin for hound

C15: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse hūnn knob, cube

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with hound

hound

see run with (the hare, hunt with the hounds).

hound

OTHER WORDS FOR hound

Idioms about hound

Origin of hound

OTHER WORDS FROM hound

Words nearby hound

Other definitions for hound (2 of 2)

Origin of hound

Words related to hound

How to use hound in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hound (1 of 2)

Derived forms of hound

Word Origin for hound

British Dictionary definitions for hound (2 of 2)

Word Origin for hound

Other Idioms and Phrases with hound