hound

¹

[hound]

noun

1. one of any of several breeds of dogs trained to pursue game either by sight or by scent, especially one with a long face and large drooping ears.

2. Informal.,  any dog.

3. Slang.

   1. an unpleasant, mean, or despicable person.

   2. a man who chases women; a promiscuous man.

4. Informal.,  an ardent fan or devotee.

   an autograph hound.

5. one of the pursuers in the game of hare and hounds.

verb (used with object)

1. to hunt or track with hounds, or as a hound does; pursue.

   Synonyms: tail, trail, chase, follow, dog

2. to pursue or harass without respite.

   Her little brother wouldn't stop hounding her.

   Synonyms: bully, persecute, annoy, pester

3. to incite (a hound) to pursuit or attack; urge on.

4. Informal.,  to incite or urge (a person) to do something (often followed byon ).

   The committee has been hounded on by those who want these repairs done immediately.

hound

²

[hound]

noun

1. Nautical.,  either of a pair of fore-and-aft members at the lower end of the head of a mast, for supporting the trestletrees, that support an upper mast at its heel.

2. a horizontal bar or brace, usually one of a pair, for strengthening the running gear of a horse-drawn wagon or the like.

hound

¹

/ haʊnd /

noun

1. 1. any of several breeds of dog used for hunting

   2. ( in combination )

      an otterhound

      a deerhound

2. a pack of foxhounds, etc

3. a dog, esp one regarded as annoying

4. a despicable person

5. (in hare and hounds) a runner who pursues a hare

6. slang,  an enthusiast

   an autograph hound

7. short for houndfish See also nursehound

8. to take part in a fox hunt with hounds

verb

1. to pursue or chase relentlessly

2. to urge on

hound

²

/ haʊnd /

noun

1. either of a pair of horizontal bars that reinforce the running gear of a horse-drawn vehicle

2. nautical either of a pair of fore-and-aft braces that serve as supports for a topmast

Other Word Forms

• hounder noun
• houndish adjective
• houndy adjective
• houndlike adjective
• unhounded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hound¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English h(o)und, Old English hund; cognate with Dutch hond, Old Norse hundr, Danish, Swedish hund, German Hund, Gothic hunds; akin to Latin canis, Greek kýōn (genitive kynós ), Sanskrit śván (genitive śunas ), Old Irish cú (genitive con ), Welsh ci (plural cwn ), Tocharian A kū, Lithuanian šuõ

Origin of hound²

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English houn(e), hune, from Old Norse hūnn “knob at the top of a masthead”

Word History and Origins

Origin of hound¹

Old English hund; related to Old High German hunt, Old Norse hundr, Gothic hunds

Origin of hound²

C15: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse hūnn knob, cube

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. ride to hounds, to participate in a hunt, whether as a member of the field or of the hunt staff.

2. follow the hounds, to participate in a hunt, especially as a member of the field.

see run with (the hare, hunt with the hounds).

Example Sentences

"In Lloyds, it will simply become a numbers game and staff will be hounded out of the business. We've seen it before," it said.

From BBC

This was not the first time in my uncle’s 30-year incarceration that we’ve had to hound the Florida Department of Corrections for answers about his well-being.

From Salon

Nearly four months into Essayli’s tenure at the top of one of the nation’s busiest federal prosecutor’s offices, it is perhaps complaints about his partisanship that hound him most.

From Los Angeles Times

But as they're hounded by mosquitoes – which thrive in hot weather – reindeer are now fleeing to roads and villages in search of relief.

From BBC

The gang targeted victims aged between 60 and 90, using high-pressure sales tactics to persuade them to hand over their money, with one victim saying she was "hounded" into parting with her savings.

From BBC

Related Words

• annoy 
• bother 
• goad 
• harass 
• heckle 
• hector 
• persecute 
• pester 
• pursue