caribou

noun

car·​i·​bou ˈker-ə-ˌbü How to pronounce caribou (audio)
ˈka-rə-
plural caribou or caribous
: a large gregarious deer (Rangifer tarandus) of Holarctic taiga and tundra that usually has palmate antlers in both sexes
used especially for one of the New World

called also reindeer

Illustration of caribou

Illustration of caribou

Examples of caribou in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The ethics of the Iditarod race require that when a large animal like a moose or caribou is killed during the competition, its meat must be taken and distributed. Victor Mather, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Proposal 38 would close Unit 23 to non-resident caribou hunters. Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 3 Jan. 2024 Half a million caribou migrate through this park, crossing the Kobuk River and Onion Portage, according to the National Park Service. Cnn.com, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 Other burning questions: *From the creepy opening scene: What were all of those caribou running from? William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2024 In fact, nonresidents have very little impact on the caribou herd at all. Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 3 Jan. 2024 Smaller mammals today are known to sometimes attack much larger prey, including wolverines attacking moose or caribou. Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 18 July 2023 With recreational caribou hunting closing in Quebec in 2018 — which had been one of the most popular and affordable caribou hunts in the early 2000s — there are diminishingly few affordable options that don’t require a guide. Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, 3 Jan. 2024 Many Inuit tribes, such as the Iñupiat of Northern Alaska, still rely on caribou meat for sustenance. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caribou.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier caribo, borrowed from Micmac qalipu (phonetically ɣalibu, 17th-18th-century *ɣaribu), agentive derivative of qalipi- "shovel snow," going back to proto-Algonquian *maka·lipi-; so called from its habit of scraping aside snow with its front feet in search of food

First Known Use

circa 1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caribou was circa 1665

Dictionary Entries Near caribou

Cite this Entry

“Caribou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caribou. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

caribou

noun
car·​i·​bou ˈkar-ə-ˌbü How to pronounce caribou (audio)
plural caribou or caribous
: a large animal of the deer family that is found in cold northern regions
used especially for one of the New World

called also reindeer

Etymology

from Canadian French caribou "caribou," from Micmac (American Indian language of northeastern Canada) γalipu

More from Merriam-Webster on caribou

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