pack-animal

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A beast of burden: "pack-animal" refers to an animal that is used to carry goods, equipment, or supplies on its back, typically over long distances or in terrain where vehicles cannot go.

Usage Examples

• (The mule carried supplies for the group traveling through difficult terrain.)
• (Donkeys carry heavy loads for trade.)
• (The group used various animals to carry their belongings.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work like a pack-animal": to labor very hard, often carrying or moving heavy loads.
  • The porters worked like pack-animals, hauling boxes up the steep hill without complaint. (They worked extremely hard, resembling animals carrying burdens.)

Variants and Related Words

• Pack (n): a bundle of items tied together for carrying, especially on an animal's back.
  • Each pack weighed about 50 kilograms. (Each bundle was heavy.)
• Pack-animal train (n): a line of pack-animals moving together.
  • The pack-animal train wound slowly through the narrow canyon. (A group of animals carrying loads in sequence.)

Synonyms

• Beast of burden: an animal used for carrying heavy loads.
• Draft animal: an animal used for pulling loads, though "pack-animal" specifically implies carrying on the back.
• Sumter: a historical term for a pack-animal, especially a horse or mule.

Related Idioms

• "pack animal mentality": a figurative phrase describing behavior where people follow orders without question, like animals carrying loads.
  • The soldiers had a pack-animal mentality, obeying every command without thinking. (They acted without independent thought, like burdened animals.)