n. & v.
n. 1 a a dog used for hunting, esp. one able to track by scent. b (the hounds) Brit. a pack of foxhounds. 2 colloq. a despicable man. 3 a runner who follows a trail in hare and hounds. 4 a person keen in pursuit of something (usu. in comb.: news-hound).
v.tr. 1 harass or pursue relentlessly. 2 chase or pursue with a hound. 3 (foll. by at) set (a dog or person) on (a quarry). 4 urge on or nag (a person). hound's tongue Bot. a tall plant, Cynoglossum officinale, with tongue-shaped leaves. hound's-tooth a check pattern with notched corners suggestive of a canine tooth. ride to hounds go fox-hunting on horseback. hounder n. houndish adj.
[ OE hund f. Gmc ]