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dhole

dhole

1 9.9
A wild dog that lives in forests in central and southeast Asia and hunts in packs
  • noun
  • /doʊl/
  • Indian
: dhole
  • A pack of dholes worked together to bring down a deer in the dense underbrush.

Examples

  • A pack of dholes was spotted chasing a deer through the dense forest.

  • The dhole population is threatened by habitat loss and competition with other predators.

  • Unlike wolves, dholes have a distinctive whistling call to communicate within their pack.

  • The dhole is a highly social animal.

  • A dhole can run very fast.

  • The dhole is known for its social behavior, often hunting in packs to catch prey.

  • In the forests of Southeast Asia, the dhole can be heard howling as they communicate with their pack.

Synonyms

Cuon alpinus
vsdhole
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A wild dog from forests in central and southeast Asia that hunts in groups

is more neutral in tone rather than emphasizing aggression

Surface Forms

dhole singular
dholes plural

Etymology

Dhole comes from a local Asian name, probably from Hindi or a nearby Indian language, for the wild forest 'dog'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of dhole as the actual local name for this pack-hunting Asian dog, which is why the word now refers to that specific wild species.