noun
pound
A place where animals or property are held in official custody.
The officer takes the stray dog to the pound.
Etymology
The older word named an enclosure. The official-custody sense preserves that holding place for stray animals or seized property.
More examples
- We find our missing cat at the pound.
- She pays a fee to collect her car from the pound.
- The county pound holds stray dogs until their owners arrive.
Forms
pound · pounds
impound verb — To seize and hold in official custody.