caribou

noun

car·​i·​bou ˈker-ə-ˌbü 

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

Examples of caribou in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gwich'in leaders remain firmly opposed to drilling, emphasizing the coastal plain's critical role in sustaining a caribou herd central to their way of life. —Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025

Denali National Park is rife with all sorts of massive ungulates, with native species ranging from the caribou to the moose, a colossal deer species that’s recognized as the tallest land mammal in all of North America. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

Huge cliffs and mountains rise from a shoreline of rocky beaches and tundra flats traversed by polar bear, muskox, caribou, Arctic fox and other cold-climate creatures. —Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

Our reindeer-adjacent vocabulary is pretty much confined to caribou, moose, Rudolph, Dancer, Dasher, Comet, Prancer, Vixen, Cupid and Blitzen. —Inga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

earlier caribo, borrowed from Micmac qalipu (phonetically ɣalibu, 17th-18th-century *ɣaribu), agentive derivative of qalipi- "shovel snow," going back to proto-Algonquian *maka·lipi-; so called from its habit of scraping aside snow with its front feet in search of food

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for caribou

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue
• donohue

Kids Definition

caribou

noun

car·​i·​bou ˈkar-ə-ˌbü 

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 (Indigenous language of northeastern Canada) γalipu