dingo

[ ding-goh ]

noun

, plural din·goes.

1. a wolflike, wild dog, Canis familiaris dingo, of Australia, having a reddish- or yellowish-brown coat.
2. Australian. a cowardly or treacherous person.

dingo

/ ˈdɪŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a wild dog, Canis dingo, of Australia, having a yellowish-brown coat and resembling a wolf
2. slang.
   a cheat or coward

verb

1. 1. to act in a cowardly manner
   2. to drop out of something
2. foll by on to let (someone) down

Word History and Origins

Origin of dingo¹

First recorded in 1789, dingo is from the Dharuk word din-gu tame dingo

Word History and Origins

Origin of dingo¹

C18: native Australian name

Example Sentences

The researchers examined remains at the Curracurrang archaeological site, south of Sydney, where radiocarbon dating of dingo bones revealed the animals were buried alongside humans as far back as 2,000 years ago.

From Science Daily

The team in the UK identified 25 different kinds of animals, including tigers, lemurs and dingoes.

From NewsForKids.net

Authorities blame dingoes’ increasing fearlessness on tourists who ignore rules by feeding them or encouraging them to approach in order to post social media images.

From Seattle Times

Two passersby rescued the woman from the dingoes after they chased her into the surf, using the same hunting technique they use for larger prey such as wallabies, Behrendorff said.

From Seattle Times

A quarter-century later, they face other threats: road traffic; dogs and dingoes; “habitat fragmentation,” where their natural rainforest is broken up and they cannot easily move between areas; and climate change.

From New York Times

Related Words

• mutt
• pooch
• pup