caribou
/ˈkarɪbuː
/noun (plural same)
North American term for reindeer.Large artiodactyls such as the caribou inhabit subarctic forests....
- In such a vast park there are only a few hundreds of wild animals which include the jackal, the fox, the dall sheep, the caribou and the moose.
- Scientists say the decline of the Porcupine caribou herd in Alaska and the Yukon may be linked to global warming.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from Canadian French, from Micmac γalipu, literally 'snow-shoveller' (because the caribou scrapes away snow to feed on the vegetation underneath).