Meaning & use
hound dog
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Meanings
nouncountable
A dog of a breed developed for hunting, known for its strong sense of smell and long droopy ears.
Grammar: Countable: one hound dog, two hound dogs. Often used in the phrase 'a hound dog'.
Patterns
- a hound dog
- hound dogs
The old man sat on the porch with his hound dog beside him.
Hound dogs are often used to track deer and rabbits.
She adopted a hound dog from the local shelter.
nouncountablefigurative
A person who pursues something relentlessly, like a dog following a scent.
Grammar: Used figuratively, often in the phrase 'a hound dog for something'.
Patterns
- a hound dog for something
He's a hound dog for details, never letting a small mistake go.
The reporter was a hound dog, digging into the story for weeks.
Word forms
| plural | hound dogs |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pack of hound dogs
- A pack of hound dogs followed the hunter through the woods.
- hound dog howl
- The hound dog howl echoed across the valley.
- trained hound dog
- The police used a trained hound dog to search for clues.
- hound dog breed
- The bloodhound is a well-known hound dog breed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hound
- More common in British English and often used alone; 'hound dog' is mainly American and emphasizes the dog itself.
- scent hound
- A more technical term for hounds that track by smell, rather than by sight.
Word family
Commonly confused: hound dog or hunt dog?
hound dog vs hunt dog
Not a common English phrase; 'hound dog' or 'hunting dog' are the usual terms.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'hound dog' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct answer is B: 'hound dog' is a breed of dog used for hunting, so following a scent fits. An is wrong because hound dogs are not typically small lap dogs. C uses 'hound dog' as a verb, which is incorrect; the verb is 'hound'. D is illogical because you do not buy dogs at a grocery store.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hound dog”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.