wolfhound

American

[woolf-hound] / ˈwʊlfˌhaʊnd /

noun

any of several large dogs used in hunting wolves.

wolfhound British

/ ˈwʊlfˌhaʊnd /

noun

the largest breed of dog, used formerly to hunt wolves

"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

Etymology

Origin of wolfhound

First recorded in 1780–90; wolf + hound ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Catherine, dressed in a bottle-green and percher hat, presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers, guardsmen and mascot Seamus, the Irish wolfhound, at the regiment's annual parade at Wellington Barracks.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025

On Thursday, 1,400 troops in bearskin caps and an Irish wolfhound named Seamus filed past Elizabeth’s Buckingham Palace balcony.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022

The team also has funding from foundations, tech entrepreneurs and small donors such as the Irish wolfhound Association of New England.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2022

Remembering Jerry The couple left their three-day wedding celebration in Mexico a day early, after receiving word that their 12-year-old Irish wolfhound, Jerry, who was suffering from cancer, was taken to an emergency room.

From New York Times • Dec. 3, 2021

He was covered with Gurgi’s shedding hair, in addition to the distressing odor of a wet wolfhound.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023