Word
bloodhound
Phoneticsblood·hound, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɫədhaʊnd/
UK/blˈʌdhaʊnd/
Definitions
01the dog breed
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a large dog with long ears and a very strong sense of smell, used for finding people who are lost.
n. a large scenthound breed characterized by long, drooping ears and an exceptional ability to follow aged scent trails over long distances.
“The police used a bloodhound to find the child who had wandered into the woods.”
“The search party relied on the bloodhound's keen sense of smell to track the missing hiker through the dense underbrush.”
02a skilled investigator
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Informal
n. a person, such as a detective, who is very good at finding clues or hidden information.
n. a person who is adept at tracking down information, evidence, or individuals through persistent investigation.
“The journalist was a real bloodhound when it came to finding secret government documents.”
“The lead investigator was a natural bloodhound, uncovering financial discrepancies that three previous auditors had completely overlooked.”
Synonyms
03to track or pursue
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. to follow or hunt someone down in a determined way.
v. to pursue or track someone relentlessly, as if using a scent.
“Reporters bloodhounded the celebrity until she finally agreed to an interview.”
“The tax authorities bloodhounded the suspect across three different jurisdictions until they finally secured enough evidence for an arrest.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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