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

Sable Pass at Mile 39 is a top spot for grizzly bears, caribou, and Dall sheep. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2026

The location of the bones and their condition can also tell scientists how a herd can change over time and may give researchers insight into how to help bolster caribou numbers, Miller says. —Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2026

The lake is home to animals including caribou, migratory birds, polar bears and other wildlife, according to the suit. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 18 Feb. 2026

Films that accompanied the curriculum also showed the Netsilik disemboweling a seal and carving up a caribou. —Jonathan Zimmerman, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 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