Meanings
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1
noun
a very large, rough-coated sighthound originally bred in Scotland to hunt deer
The tall grey deerhound crossed the moor with an effortless stride.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A compound of deer + hound, continuing an old Germanic pattern for naming hunting dogs by their quarry. Old English hēahdēorhund ("stag-hound, dog for hunting large game") attests the underlying type; the modern compound refers especially to the Scottish Deerhound breed.