dhole

\ ˈdōl

How to pronounce dhole (audio)

\

Definition of dhole

: 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 Gray says dholes are thought to be extinct in Vietnam and are likely to become extinct in Laos. — Sarah Lazarus, CNN, "'Barbaric' snares are wiping out Southeast Asia's wild animals," 16 Oct. 2019 The dhole -- a tawny-colored wild dog -- is also highly endangered. — Sarah Lazarus, CNN, "'Barbaric' snares are wiping out Southeast Asia's wild animals," 16 Oct. 2019 Dholes hunt cooperatively, breaking into smaller groups to surround prey animals hidden deep in the vegetation. — National Geographic, "Whistling Caterpillars And 5 More Surprisingly Musical Species," 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, "The World’s Top Predators Are Dining From Dwindling Menus," 3 Aug. 2016

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about dhole

Dictionary Entries near dhole

Statistics for dhole

Cite this Entry

“Dhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dhole. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

WORD OF THE DAY

eradicate

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

More Confusing Words—Quiz

The magician ______ moved the selected card to the top of the deck.

discretely discreetly

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.