pack animal

noun

1. a mule, donkey, burro, or horse bred for vigor and hardiness and used for carrying heavy loads.

pack animal

noun

1. an animal, such as a donkey, used to transport goods, equipment, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of pack animal¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Once they reached Turfan, they would triple in size—goods, pack animals, traders, and caravaneers—in order to make the trek to Kashgar across those haunted sands.

From Literature

Pigs are pack animals — not so different from being in a touring rock band, the singer and guitarist Marisa Dabice, 36, noted playfully.

From New York Times

Burros are not native to the West’s deserts — they are descendants of the pack animals that miners and prospectors used more than a century ago.

From Los Angeles Times

They are also an iconic symbol of the American Southwest, dating to their days as pack animals for people flocking to California during the Gold Rush.

From Seattle Times

For lookouts reachable on foot within a day, the Forest Service provided a pack animal — but the human had to walk.

From Seattle Times