noun
bloodhound
BLUHD-hownd
noun
1
A large dog breed famous for its powerful sense of smell, often used to track missing people or fugitives.
"Police brought in a bloodhound to follow the suspect's scent."
2
A person who is especially skilled at tracking down people or information.
"The journalist was a bloodhound for scandal."
How to Use Bloodhound
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA scent-tracking dog breed, or figuratively, a relentless investigator.
Common pairings
track like a bloodhound
a bloodhound's nose
Word Forms
bloodhounds plural
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Etymology
From Middle English blodhound, a compound of "blood" and "hound" — likely referring to the dog's skill at tracking blood trails from wounded game.