pack animal

American  

noun

1. a mule, donkey, burro, or horse bred for vigor and hardiness and used for carrying heavy loads.

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pack animal British  

noun

1. an animal, such as a donkey, used to transport goods, equipment, etc

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Etymology

Origin of pack animal

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

For lookouts reachable on foot within a day, the Forest Service provided a pack animal — but the human had to walk.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023

Further, the camel’s capacity to store fat and water enabled it to travel up to ten days without stopping for fresh water, more than twice the time and distance of almost every other pack animal.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

I had decided to get Maia a dog, because she’s a pack animal.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2020

Lurie and his pack animal fall in with members of the United States Camel Corps, and many adventures are had.

From New York Times • Aug. 9, 2019

“But I’ll need a new pack animal to carry my gear ” It seems my luck had finally turned.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss