also cariboo, 1660s, from Canadian French caribou, from Micmac (Algonquian) kaleboo or a related Algonquian name, literally "pawer, scratcher," from its kicking snow aside to feed on moss and grass.
city, Aroostook county, northeastern Maine, U.S. It lies along the Aroostook River, near the New Brunswick border, 13 miles (21 km) north of Presque Isle. Settled in 1824, it developed as a lumbering centre and was incorporated in 1859 as Lyndon. It was renamed Caribou in 1877 for the woodland caribou once plentiful in the region. The city is the shipping point for a large potato-growing region. Light industries produce potato-packing bags, automotive electronic control devices, and custom steel products. It serves as a gateway to Maine's Great North Woods and the Allagash outdoor recreation area. Caribou's Nylander Museum houses Indian artifacts, minerals, and geologic items collected by the Swedish-born naturalist and geologist Olaf Nylander. Caribou was the departure point for the first solo transatlantic balloon flight (1984). Inc. city, 1968. Pop. (1990) 9,415; (2000) 8,312.