Definition

Noun: 1. A traditional outdoor chasing game: "Hare and hounds" is a game where one or two players, designated as the "hares," start first and leave a trail for the other players, the "hounds," to follow. The goal is for the hounds to catch the hares before they reach a predetermined destination.

Usage

• The game "hare and hounds" was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• They organized a game of hare and hounds across the countryside.
• In hare and hounds, the hares typically scatter bits of paper to mark their trail.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe any pursuit where one party leaves clues or a trail for another to follow.
  • The investigation felt like a game of hare and hounds, with the suspect always one step ahead.

Variants and Related Words

• Paper chase: This is a direct synonym for "hare and hounds," named for the paper trail left by the hares.
• Hare (n): In the context of the game, the player(s) who run ahead and set the trail.
• Hound (n): In the context of the game, the players who pursue the hares.

Synonyms

• Paper chase
• Trail chase

Related Idioms

• To run with the hare and hunt with the hounds: This idiom, related in name only, means to try to support two opposing sides at the same time. It is not a rule or part of the game itself.
  • He can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds; he must choose a side in this debate.

Noun

1. an outdoor game; one group of players (the hares) start off on a long run scattering bits of paper (the scent) and pursuers (the hounds) try to catch them before they reach a designated spot