dingo

noun

din·​go ˈdiŋ-(ˌ)gō 

plural dingoes

: a wild dog (Canis dingo) of Australia having a tan or reddish coat that is often considered a subspecies (C. familiaris dingo) of the domestic dog

Illustration of dingo

Did you know?

An Australian wild dog, the dingo was apparently introduced from Asia 5,000–8,000 years ago. It has short, soft fur, a bushy tail, and erect, pointed ears. It is about 4 ft (1.2 m) long, including the 12-in (30-cm) tail, and stands about 24 in (60 cm) high. Its color varies between yellowish and reddish brown, often with white underparts, feet, and tail tip. Dingoes hunt alone or in small groups. They formerly preyed on kangaroos, but now feed mainly on rabbits and sometimes on livestock. Through competition for resources, they contributed to the extermination of the Tasmanian wolf and Tasmanian devil on the Australian mainland.

Examples of dingo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Before the colonization of Australia, many aboriginal people buried dingoes with rites indistinguishable from those used for humans. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2024

The broken skulls of foxes and dingoes have often been found near wombat burrows, eliciting rumors that wombats can even swing their butts to crush the skulls of predators. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Occasionally, such behavior is spotted in other species as well; in 2008, in Queensland, Australia, a dingo was observed carrying her deceased pup from place to place for four days while tending to its surviving littermates. —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

No dolphin will ever perform an autopsy, no dingo will read Heidegger, no macaque will write a requiem for piano and violin. —Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) diŋgu

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dingo

noun

din·​go ˈdiŋ-gō 

plural dingoes

: a reddish brown bushy-tailed wild dog of Australia