Definition of BLOODHOUND

bloodhound

Meanings

Plural: bloodhounds

Noun

  • a breed of large powerful hound of European origin having very acute smell and used in tracking
  • A large scenthound famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. This dog is often used as a police dog to track missing people, fleeing suspects, or escaped prisoners.
  • A detective or other person skilled at finding people or clues.
  • A bloodthirsty person.

Origin / Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blodhound, blodhond; equivalent to blood + hound. Cognate with Dutch bloedhond (“bloodhound”), Middle Low German blōthunt (“bloodhound”), German Bluthund (“bloodhound”), Danish blodhund (“bloodhound”), Swedish blodhund (“bloodhound”). The detective sense follows from the dog's ability to follow a trail.

Synonyms

sleuthhound

Scrabble Score: 17

bloodhound is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
bloodhound is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
bloodhound is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 20

bloodhound is a valid Words With Friends word