Scenthounds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Dogs trained or bred to track game, people or objects by following their scent along the ground or through the air
2. Hounds that rely on a keen sense of smell to trail animals or find missing persons and hidden items
3. Canines with an acute nose that pursue quarry or search for things by picking up and following odours

Etymology: "Scenthounds" is simply the plural of "scenthound," a compound of "scent" and "hound." "Hound" is an old Germanic word, shared with German "Hund," and its association with dogs bred for hunting goes back to Old English. "Scent," which in its earliest English sense referred to smelling or perceiving by smell, came into the language from Anglo-Norman and Old French, related to the verb "sentir," meaning "to feel" or "to smell." Put together, "scenthound" names a dog whose hunting depends on following a trail through the air or along the ground, not on sight. The plural form simply applies that description to a whole pack or group of such dogs.

Synonyms: tracker dog