hound dog

[ hound dawg, dog ]

noun

1. Chiefly Southern U.S. Dialect. hound ¹( def 1 ).
2. Slang. hound ¹( def 3 ).
3. Hound Dog, Military. a jet-propelled air-to-ground missile designed to be launched from B-52 aircraft and having nuclear capability.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hound dog¹

An Americanism dating back to 1640–50

Example Sentences

Last summer I found a criminally cute hound dog who checked at least one of the boxes.

From Los Angeles Times

Steve is the sensible, sensitive mate who evens us out as opposed to the kicked hound dog who waits by the door for his mistress.

From Salon

“I have seen all breeds out on the trail, from Siberian Huskies, Labradors, hound dogs, to small lap dogs and everything in between.”

From Seattle Times

“Police out here riding around like hound dogs,” said Lareta Johnson Ray, whose family members wound up in a violent encounter with the unit’s officers after running from them last summer.

From New York Times

I imagined needing a pickup to handle dirt roads and haul lumber, getting a big hound dog and taking up fly-fishing.

From Los Angeles Times