dhole

noun

: a wild dog (Cuon alpinus) occurring from India to southern Siberia that typically hunts in packs and often preys on large animals (such as deer and antelope)
Among the dhole's most distinctive features is its whistle—a high-pitched call apparently used to coordinate cooperative hunting.Arun Venkataraman

Examples of dhole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cuddly red pandas, which have ample undercoats, face natural predation from leopards and dholes, aka Asiatic wild dogs. Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2023 With over 40 different varieties of mammal found within the park, visitors are able to spot sloth bears, gaur, dhole, and even the barasingha, a large wetland deer that was once common throughout central and northern India. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 28 Apr. 2021 Despite this massive effort, the researchers only registered four dhole sightings, 11 wolf sightings, 45 leopard sightings and 309 snow leopard sightings. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 4 Aug. 2020 Gray says dholes are thought to be extinct in Vietnam and are likely to become extinct in Laos. Sarah Lazarus, CNN, 16 Oct. 2019 The dhole -- a tawny-colored wild dog -- is also highly endangered. Sarah Lazarus, CNN, 16 Oct. 2019 Dholes hunt cooperatively, breaking into smaller groups to surround prey animals hidden deep in the vegetation. National Geographic, 26 Apr. 2017 For five of the seventeen predators—clouded leopard, Sunda clouded leopard, tiger, dhole (a wild Asian dog), and Ethiopian wolf— National Geographic, 3 Aug. 2016

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Kannada tōḷa wolf

First Known Use

circa 1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dhole was circa 1827

Dictionary Entries Near dhole

Cite this Entry

“Dhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dhole. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dhole

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!