otterhound

1 9.8

A large British hunting dog with shaggy fur and long, drooping ears bred to hunt otters

noun
/ˈɑːtərhaʊnd/

: otterhound

During the hunt, the otterhound used its keen sense of smell to track the otter.

Examples

The otterhound is known for its excellent swimming ability.
The otterhound is known for its keen sense of smell and love of water.
At the dog show, the otterhound impressed everyone with its shaggy coat and friendly demeanor.
Their family adopted an otterhound because of its gentle temperament and playful nature.
Many otterhounds are friendly and great with children.
The otterhound is an excellent swimmer and often retrieves game from water.
With its long, drooping ears, the otterhound is easily recognizable among dog breeds.

Synonyms

hound

vsotterhound

105 1.5

A dog used for hunting with long drooping ears and a strong nose

is narrower naming a single British hunting breed for a specific prey

hound dog

vsotterhound

13 2.7

A dog used for hunting with long ears and a very good nose

is narrower naming one British hunting breed specialized for a certain prey

otter hound

vsotterhound

8.1

A large British dog breed with long hanging ears and thick rough fur used for hunting otters

is the same breed but written as a single word

Surface Forms

otterhound singular

otterhounds plural

Morphology

otterhound = otter + hound (transparent) = otter + hound

The breed name is a straightforward compound meaning a hound associated with otters (a dog used for hunting otters), which learners can derive from the two component words.

Etymology

Otterhound is simply made of otter and hound, where hound means 'dog' and otter is the 'water animal'; so it literally names a dog made to hunt otters, which explains why this British breed loves water and has a strong sense of smell.