bloodhound

noun

blood·​hound ˈbləd-ˌhau̇nd How to pronounce bloodhound (audio)
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

Illustration of bloodhound
  • bloodhound 1

Examples of bloodhound in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Multiple agencies are using helicopters, bloodhounds, K-9s, air boats and ATVs to try to find her. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2023 In addition, the police department utilized two infrared drones to search for Morris from the skies and Grant County has sent two bloodhound teams to look for Morris on the ground, according to a police Facebook post. Isa Kaufman-Geballe, CNN, 19 Mar. 2023 The National Park Service estimates that a black bear's sense of smell is about seven times greater than that of a bloodhound. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Oct. 2023 People with certain breeds like beagles, bloodhounds and huskies were more likely to report their dog was a howler. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2023 Sophie the bloodhound ‘got loose’ from her handler’s house. Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 The next day, the search task force brought bloodhounds to the area to retrace the steps Johnston made in reaching Newark. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2023 The Riverside Police Department assisted the Ontario Police Department with their search, bringing in helicopters and a bloodhound, but weren’t able to find the man. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Not long after Choate arrived, a law enforcement posse led by a pair of bloodhounds, George and Queen, went to the grandfather’s home and arrested the teen. Timothy Bella, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodhound was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bloodhound

Cite this Entry

“Bloodhound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodhound. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

bloodhound

noun
blood·​hound ˈbləd-ˌhau̇nd How to pronounce bloodhound (audio)
: any of a breed of large powerful hounds with a wrinkled face and a very good sense of smell

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