Afghan hound

noun

: 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

Illustration of Afghan hound

Illustration of afghan hound

Examples of Afghan hound in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are no corgis to be seen but an Afghan hound named Maha who has longer legs and arguably much better hair. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026 Afghan hounds, for example, are intelligent but aloof, with a strong prey drive and tend to be quite independent. — Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Outside the newsroom, Lauren is an award-winning competitive equestrian and has an Afghan hound named Zhivago. — CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026 Finalists includes an Afghan hound named Zaida, a Lhasa apso called JJ, a Maltese named Cookie and an old English sheepdog dubbed Graham. — Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Afghan hound

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Afghan hound was in 1883

Rhymes for Afghan hound

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Browse Nearby Words

Afghan fox
Afghan hound
afghani
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Cite this Entry

“Afghan hound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Afghan%20hound. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Afghan hound

noun
: any of a breed of tall swift hunting dogs originating in Afghanistan with a coat of long silky hair and a long silky bunch of hair on the head

More from Merriam-Webster on Afghan hound

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Afghan hound

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