basset hound

noun

bas·​set hound ˈba-sət- How to pronounce basset hound (audio)
: any of an old breed of short-legged hunting dogs of French origin having very long ears and a short smooth coat

called also basset

Illustration of basset hound

Illustration of basset hound

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Then Pepper brought up his 65-pound basset hound. Mandy Mclaren, The Courier-Journal, 12 Aug. 2021 The exuberant basset hound that spent most of his life so far in New York is now an island boy. Joe Sills, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2023 Fasuna is one of the 15 staff members participating in the training and certification process with her basset hound, Mollie. Kaitlin Mikrut, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2023 So, join the gang—Skip, Donna, Moondoggie, Crisco, and Cairo the vegan basset hound—for this episode of our ongoing, if not regularly occurring, series about shopping for cars on the Internet. John Pearley Huffman, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023 The gigantic bivalved arthropod Balhuticaris voltae—distantly similar to today’s crustaceans—has a unique outer shell-body, or carapace, that drapes over its front like the floppy ears of a basset hound. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 18 July 2022 The film’s Oscar-winning makeup puts puffy cheeks on Chastain’s long face, which gives her the look of a mascaraed basset hound, weirdly accentuated by ’80s fashions — exercise togs, glittery headbands, big-shouldered Dynasty dresses, and fur coats. Armond White, National Review, 1 Apr. 2022 Team Ruff was led by French bulldog Moby, and Team Fluff was led by Dinozzo, a basset hound/Shih Tzu mix breed. NBC News, 14 Feb. 2022 Before welcoming Pebbles, Teigen and Legend adopted Pearl, their basset hound, in late July. Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE.com, 20 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'basset hound.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French basset, from Middle French, from basset short, from bas low — more at base entry 3

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of basset hound was in 1851

Dictionary Entries Near basset hound

Cite this Entry

“Basset hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basset%20hound. Accessed 29 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

basset hound

noun
bas·​set hound ˈbas-ət- How to pronounce basset hound (audio)
: any of an old French breed of short-legged long-eared hunting dogs

called also basset

More from Merriam-Webster on basset hound

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