Quantcast
 
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

caribou

 - 4 dictionary results

car⋅i⋅bou

  [kar-uh-boo]
–noun, plural -bous, (especially collectively) -bou.
any of several large, North American deer of the genus Rangifer, related to the reindeer of the Old World.
Use caribou in a Sentence
Origin:
1665–75, Americanism; < CanF caribou, r. earlier E caribo, both < Micmac γalipu deriv. (agent n.) of γalipi- shovel snow < Proto-Algonquian *maka⋅lipi-; called the snow-shoveler from its habit of scraping aside snow with its front hoofs in search of food
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To caribou
car·i·bou   (kār'ə-bōō')   
n.   pl. caribou or car·i·bous
Any of several large reindeer native to northern North America.

[Micmac ĝalipu (influenced by Canadian French caribou, also from Micmac), from Proto-Algonquin *mekālixpowa : *mekāl-, to scrape + *-ixpo-, snow.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

caribou 
c.1665, from Micmac (Algonquian) kaleboo, lit. "pawer, scratcher," from its kicking snow aside to feed on moss and grass.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

Caribou

city, Aroostook county, northeastern Maine, U.S. It lies along the Aroostook River, near the New Brunswick border, 13 miles (21 km) north of Presque Isle. Settled in 1824, it developed as a lumbering centre and was incorporated in 1859 as Lyndon. It was renamed Caribou in 1877 for the woodland caribou once plentiful in the region. The city is the shipping point for a large potato-growing region. Light industries produce potato-packing bags, automotive electronic control devices, and custom steel products. It serves as a gateway to Maine's Great North Woods and the Allagash outdoor recreation area. Caribou's Nylander Museum houses Indian artifacts, minerals, and geologic items collected by the Swedish-born naturalist and geologist Olaf Nylander. Caribou was the departure point for the first solo transatlantic balloon flight (1984). Inc. city, 1968. Pop. (1990) 9,415; (2000) 8,312.

Learn more about Caribou with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see caribou on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
ExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyThe Daily BeastUrbanspoonAsk AnswersBloglinesSendori