: 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 alsoreindeer
Illustration of caribou
Examples of caribou in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAmerica's 'most endangered rivers' list:Sewage, toxic algae, construction feed the crisis
The agency cited risks to caribou and fish populations that dozens of native communities rely on for subsistence.—Nichola Groom, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 He’s seen caribou die of fright, maybe like the unexplained stampede of caribou from the opening minutes of the first episode.—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2024 On the way to the permafrost of the Alaskan tundra, eagle-eyed motorists may spot caribou, moose and grizzly bears along the road.—Teddy Brokaw, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2024 As of 2023, the caribou quota for the Fortymile Herd has been reduced to more normal bag limits, typically one bull caribou during the fall and one bull caribou during the winter for each hunter.—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for caribou
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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
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