wolfhound

noun

wolf·​hound ˈwu̇lf-ˌhau̇nd How to pronounce wolfhound (audio)
: any of several large dogs used especially formerly in hunting large animals (such as wolves) compare borzoi, Irish wolfhound

Examples of wolfhound 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 wolfhound, whose name was Aggie, had tremendous grace and several contusions. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023 In the book on which the show is based, Winn-Dixie is an Irish wolfhound, so Berloni duly adopted and trained two wolfhounds. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 3 July 2019 Odder still is the inclusion of a kidney transplant—from one human to another, regrettably, rather than from, say, wolfhound to peke. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2018 The recent birth of two Irish wolfhound puppies has scientists excited, because—for the first time ever—the puppies have been confirmed through genetic analysis to be identical twins. Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic, 2 Sep. 2016

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wolfhound was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near wolfhound

Cite this Entry

“Wolfhound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wolfhound. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wolfhound

noun
wolf·​hound ˈwu̇lf-ˌhau̇nd How to pronounce wolfhound (audio)
: any of several large dogs used especially formerly in hunting large animals (as wolves)

More from Merriam-Webster on wolfhound

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!