caribou

noun

car·​i·​bou ˈker-ə-ˌbü How to pronounce caribou (audio)
ˈka-rə-
plural caribou or caribous
: a large gregarious deer (Rangifer tarandus) of Holarctic taiga and tundra that usually has palmate antlers in both sexes
used especially for one of the New World

called also reindeer

Illustration of caribou

Illustration of caribou

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Forestry wallpaper lines the halls, with light fixtures featuring silhouettes of animals such as bears and caribou. Molly Mcvety, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2023 The coastal plain was filled with migratory birds and caribou. Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 21 Dec. 2020 The intent, again, was to increase populations of hooved animals for hunters’ benefit, because bears sometimes predate on young moose and caribou. National Geographic, 7 Aug. 2020 The community forgot the techniques of hunting caribou or making kayaks! Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 June 2011 The estimate dropped from 259,000 caribou in 2017 to 244,000 in 2019 and to 188,000 in 2021. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Dec. 2022 The Western Arctic Caribou Herd, one of the biggest caribou herds in the world, has been declining over the last five years. Alena Naiden, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Jan. 2023 In Canada, Indigenous groups joined forces with scientists, business, and government to triple the number of caribou in a British Columbia herd. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Dec. 2022 Imagine a hunter trying to tell me how to reach his downed caribou. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caribou.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Canadian French, from Micmac γalipu

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caribou was circa 1665

Dictionary Entries Near caribou

Cite this Entry

“Caribou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caribou. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

caribou

noun
car·​i·​bou ˈkar-ə-ˌbü How to pronounce caribou (audio)
plural caribou or caribous
: a large animal of the deer family that is found in cold northern regions
used especially for one of the New World

called also reindeer

Etymology

from Canadian French caribou "caribou," from Micmac (American Indian language of northeastern Canada) γalipu

More from Merriam-Webster on caribou

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