caribou
caribou Lexical Profile
caribou Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A large North American deer (Rangifer tarandus) characterized by large, spreading antlers present in both sexes, native to Arctic tundra, boreal forests, and mountainous regions.
"During the brief summer months, massive herds of caribou migrate across the Alaskan tundra in search of fresh vegetation."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'caribou' and 'reindeer' refer to the exact same biological species (Rangifer tarandus), 'caribou' is strictly used in North America to describe wild populations, whereas 'reindeer' is used for Eurasian or domesticated populations.
• Rhymes for caribou
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the early 17th century from Canadian French 'caribou', which originated from the Mi'kmaq word 'qalipu', meaning 'snow shoveler' or 'scratcher' (referring to the animal's habit of pawing through snow for food).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.