Illustration of caribou
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
Examples of caribou in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The technology has certainly come a long way from when Inuit hunter-gatherers used to wear caribou antlers carved with thin slits in order to prevent snow blindness.
—
Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2025
Drilling in the refuge is particularly controversial because the area is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, polar bears, gray wolves, caribou and more than 200 species of birds.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
That led us to Never Cry Wolf, the 1963 book about Mowat’s own experiences as a government biologist sent to the Arctic to study the wolves who were supposedly decimating the caribou population, which was later adapted for the 1983 Disney movie of the same name.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 2 Dec. 2024
The most notable was when, over objections from the Alaska Department of Game and Fish, 60 million acres of federal lands were closed to nonresident and most nonresident caribou hunters in 2022.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for caribou
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.
Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2025
Drilling in the refuge is particularly controversial because the area is home to wildlife including grizzly bears, polar bears, gray wolves, caribou and more than 200 species of birds.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
That led us to Never Cry Wolf, the 1963 book about Mowat’s own experiences as a government biologist sent to the Arctic to study the wolves who were supposedly decimating the caribou population, which was later adapted for the 1983 Disney movie of the same name.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 2 Dec. 2024
The most notable was when, over objections from the Alaska Department of Game and Fish, 60 million acres of federal lands were closed to nonresident and most nonresident caribou hunters in 2022.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for caribou
Cite this Entry
“Caribou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caribou. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share