Hounds is a term used to refer to a variety of canine breeds, including POOCHES, dogs, nags, bassets, picksons, besieges, and harasses. POOCHES, dogs, and nags are all four-letter words that refer to domesticated canines, while bassets, picksons, besieges, and harasses are seven- and eight-letter words that refer to specific breeds of hounds. Bassets are short-legged hunting dogs with long ears, picksons are small, short-haired hunting dogs, besieges are large, heavy-bodied hounds, and harasses are medium-sized hounds with long, silky coats.