What does "bloodhound" mean?
A large scenthound famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. This dog is often used as a police dog to track missing people, fleeing suspects, or escaped prisoners.
Bloodhound
noun, slang
noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large scenthound famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. This dog is often used as a police dog to track missing people, fleeing suspects, or escaped prisoners.
- Grammar: bloodhound is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: detective, dog, dogged pursuer, hound.
- Useful contrasts: apathetic bystander, careless observer, indoor dog.
- Usage evidence: Detective Dan Anderson stayed on the trail like a bloodhound.
How to use "bloodhound"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bloodhound" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bloodhound" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bloodhound" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bloodhound" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bloodhound" is acting as noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "detective" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bloodhound", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A large scenthound famed for its ability to follow a scent many days old, over vast distances. This dog is often used as a police dog to track missing people, fleeing suspects, or escaped prisoners.
"Someone stole our bloodhounds, but we got the backup bloodhounds to chase the first tier of bloodhounds."
- 2 a breed of large powerful hound of European origin having very acute smell and used in tracking wordnet
- 3 A detective or other person skilled at finding people or clues. figuratively, informal
- 4 A bloodthirsty person. archaic
"For now the despot’s blood-hounds with their prey, Unarmed and unaware, were gorging deep Their gluttony of death; the loose array Of horsemen o’er the wide fields murdering sweep, And with loud laughter for their tyrant reap A harvest sown with other hopes; […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
apathetic bystandercareless observerindoor dogunalert dog
Example
"Detective Dan Anderson stayed on the trail like a bloodhound."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bloodhound"?
Common synonyms include: detective, dog, dogged pursuer, hound, mahound, persistent investigator.
How do you use "bloodhound" in a sentence?
Detective Dan Anderson stayed on the trail like a bloodhound.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English blodhound, blodhond; equivalent to blood + hound. Cognate with Dutch bloedhond (“bloodhound”), Middle Low German blōthunt (“bloodhound”), German Bluthund (“bloodhound”), Danish blodhund (“bloodhound”), Swedish blodhund (“bloodhound”). The detective sense follows from the dog's ability to follow a trail.