: any of a breed of tall slender graceful smooth-coated dogs characterized by swiftness and keen sight and used for coursing game and racing
also : any of several related dogs compare Italian greyhound

Illustration of greyhound

Illustration of greyhound

Examples of greyhound 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.
The government aims to have the practice of greyhound racing banned by Aug. 1, 2026. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 Commercial greyhound racing remains legal in only a few countries, including the U.S., Australia, Britain and Ireland. Seyed Ismail Nafeesa, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024 These include border collies, greyhounds and German shepherds, among others. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024 Some greyhound racing courses hobbled along for a few more years, under frequent attack by authorities. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 17 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for greyhound 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grehound, from Old English grīghund, from grīg- (akin to Old Norse grey bitch) + hund hound

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greyhound was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near greyhound

Cite this Entry

“Greyhound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greyhound. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

: any of a breed of tall slender swift dogs with a smooth coat and narrow head

More from Merriam-Webster on greyhound

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