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

The caribou that cannot migrate to find good grazing becomes easy prey for the young wolf. —Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

If there’s a caribou hunt, antlers are used to make jewelry and carvings. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Smith has also flown to the base of a volcano to facilitate a caribou hunt and was dropped off by floatplane onto a mountain lake for kayaking. —Julia Boatman, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2025

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

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