equine

American  

[ee-kwahyn, ek-wahyn] / ˈi kwaɪn, ˈɛk waɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a horse or other member of the horse family.

   a bold, equine face.

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noun

1. Also called equid.  a horse or other member of the horse family.

   Her draft horses and mules are some of the finest equines we’ve ever seen.

equine British  

/ ˈɛkwaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a horse

2. of, relating to, or belonging to the family Equidae, which comprises horses, zebras, and asses

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equine Scientific  

/ ē′kwīn′,ĕk′wīn′ /

1. Characteristic of or resembling horses or related animals, such as donkeys.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• equinity
  noun
• equinely
  adverb
• unequine
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of equine

First recorded in 1770–80; from Latin equīnus, equivalent to equ(us) “horse” + -īnus adjective suffix; see -ine ¹

Explanation

Equine means having to do with horses. An equine saddle is one used for a horse, as opposed to one for a camel. An equine face is a horse face, and no, that's not a very nice thing to say. Equine is connected to words that refer to animals—bovine means having to do with cows, porcine pigs, feline cats, canine dogs, etc. Many young girls go through an equine phase, where they are obsessed with all things horse—books, dolls, images, and, last but not least, actual horseback riding.