Wolfhound

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A powerful and agile dog breed, typically employed in the pursuit of wolves due to its keen hunting instincts and size
2. This breed, known for its considerable strength, is often trained for tracking and chasing large game like wolves
3. A robust breed of dog recognized for its exceptional size and agility, commonly utilized in hunting and tracking large prey such as wolves

Etymology: The wolfhound is about as literal as English compounds get: "wolf" joined to "hound," a general Old English-derived word for a hunting dog. The name describes the job the dog was bred for, chasing down wolves, and the breed's size and speed were the qualities that made it useful for that work. Because the name is a plain compound, its interest lies in the sense of the parts rather than in any shift of meaning. "Hound" once covered many kinds of hunting dog, so "wolfhound" marked out a specialist within that group. Its meaning has stayed fixed since the name was first formed, which is why the modern definition still reads so directly from the two words.

Synonyms: Irish wolfhound