bloodhound

noun

blood·​hound ˈbləd-ˌhau̇nd 

1

: any of a breed of large powerful hounds of European origin remarkable for acuteness of smell

2

: a person keen in pursuit

Illustration of bloodhound

• bloodhound 1

Examples of bloodhound in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Highway Patrol began using bloodhounds about 14 years ago, moving away from dual-purpose dogs to singular-purpose drug dogs and trailing dogs. —ABC News, 5 Mar. 2026

In one, a bloodhound died in the Winnebago after the Kentucky Bluegrass Cluster. —Andrew Norman Wilson, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026

Police ramped up their search on Friday morning by launching a water search for Smith in a body of water near his home, using divers as well as multiple K-9 units, including a specialized bloodhound. —Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026

Then season 3 introduced a bloodhound FBI detective from Washington, D.C., played by (checks notes) Jenna Elfman? —Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bloodhound

noun

blood·​hound ˈbləd-ˌhau̇nd 

: any of a breed of large powerful hounds with a wrinkled face and a very good sense of smell