greyhound
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a tall, thin dog with long legs that can run very fast.
n.a breed of tall, slender sighthound characterized by its speed and keen eyesight, traditionally used for hunting and racing.
Simple“The greyhound chased the mechanical rabbit around the racing track.”
In context“Greyhounds are often adopted as pets after their racing careers end because they are surprisingly calm and quiet indoors.”
Synonymssighthound - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a bus operated by the Greyhound company, common for long trips in the US and Canada.
n.a long-distance coach operated by Greyhound Lines, Inc. in North America.
Simple“He took a greyhound from New York to Chicago to save money on travel.”
In context“Traveling by greyhound remains a staple of American budget travel, connecting small towns that lack major airports or train stations.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a very fast ship, especially a large one that crosses the ocean.
n.a swift ocean steamer or passenger ship, noted for its speed across long distances.
Simple“The old greyhound of the seas broke the record for the fastest crossing.”
In context“In the early twentieth century, these ocean greyhounds were the primary means of rapid intercontinental post and passenger transport.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to move or jump quickly across the top of the water.
v.to skim or leap rapidly across the surface of a body of water.
Simple“The small boat greyhounded over the waves as the storm approached.”
In context“The torpedo greyhounded across the choppy surface of the bay, leaving a white wake in its path.”
From Old English grīġhund, from a cognate or borrowing of Old Norse grøy (“bitch”) (whence Icelandic grey, thus not related to the colour grey) plus hund (“hound”). Altered by folk etymology to appear to be grey + hound.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.