Afghan hound

Afghan hound
Breed of dog developed as a hunter in the hill country of Afghanistan.

It was brought to Europe in the late 19th century by British soldiers returning from the Indian-Afghan border wars. It hunts by sight, and in Afghanistan it has been used to pursue leopard and gazelle. Its high, wide hipbones are well adapted to rough country. It stands 24–28 in. (61–71 cm) high and weighs 50–60 lbs (23–27 kg). It has floppy ears, a long topknot, and a long silky coat of various colours.

Afghan hound

Sally Anne Thompson

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▪ breed of dog
 breed of dog developed as a hunter in the hill country of Afghanistan. It was once thought to have originated several thousand years ago in Egypt, but there is no evidence for this theory. It was brought to Europe in the late 19th century by British soldiers returning from the Indian-Afghan border wars.

      The Afghan hound hunts by sight and, in its native Afghanistan, has been used to pursue leopards and gazelles. The animal is adapted to rough country by the structure of its high, wide hipbones. A long-legged dog, the Afghan stands 25 to 27 inches (63.5 to 68.5 cm) high and weighs from 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg). It has floppy ears, a long topknot, and a long, silky coat of various but usually solid colours. The coat is especially heavy on the forequarters and hindquarters; the Afghan carries its slim tail in an upright curve. The Afghan's appearance has been described as “aristocratic, with a farseeing expression.”

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Afghan hound — ► NOUN ▪ a silky haired breed of dog used for hunting …   English terms dictionary

  • Afghan Hound — Infobox Dogbreed image caption = A gold coated Afghan Hound name = Afghan Hound altname = Baluchi Hound, Sage Baluchi, Tazi, Ogar Afgan country = flagicon|Afghanistan Afghanistan fcigroup = 10 fcisection = 1 fcinum = 228 fcistd =… …   Wikipedia

  • Afghan hound — noun tall graceful breed of hound with a long silky coat; native to the Near East • Syn: ↑Afghan • Hypernyms: ↑hound, ↑hound dog * * * noun, pl ⋯ hounds [count] : a type of tall thin dog with long soft hair * * * Afghan hound f10 [ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Afghan hound — Af′ghan hound n. dch one of a breed of tall, slender hounds with a long, narrow head, a long, silky coat, and a topknot …   From formal English to slang

  • Afghan hound — noun Date: 1925 any of a breed of tall slim swift hunting dogs originating in Afghanistan with a coat of silky thick hair and a long silky topknot …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Afghan Hound — noun /ˌæfɡænˈhæu̯nd/ A sighthound bred in Afghanistan to hunt hare and gazelle …   Wiktionary

  • Afghan hound — noun a tall hunting dog of a breed with long silky hair …   English new terms dictionary

  • Afghan hound — /æfgæn ˈhaʊnd / (say afgan hownd) noun one of a breed of greyhounds with a very long silky coat …  

  • afghan — blanket; afghan hound (noted for its long silklike coat and narrow head) …   Eponyms, nicknames, and geographical games

  • hound dog — noun any of several breeds of dog used for hunting typically having large drooping ears (Freq. 1) • Syn: ↑hound • Derivationally related forms: ↑hound (for: ↑hound) • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

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