1. 1. A domestic dog of any of various breeds commonly used for hunting, characteristically having drooping ears, a short coat, and a deep resonant voice.
   2. A dog.
2. A contemptible person; a scoundrel.
3. 1. One who eagerly pursues something: a gossip hound.
   2. A devotee or an enthusiast: a coffee hound.

1. To pursue relentlessly and tenaciously. See synonyms at harass.
2. To urge insistently; nag: hounded me until I agreed to cut my hair.

[Middle English, from Old English hund.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.