coyote

[kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht]

noun

plural

coyotes ,

plural

coyote .

1. Also called prairie wolf. a buffy-gray, wolflike canid, Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.

2. Slang.,  a contemptible person, especially an avaricious or dishonest one.

3. American Indian Legend.,  the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.

4. Slang.,  a person who smuggles immigrants, especially Latin Americans, into the U.S. for a fee.

coyote

/ kɔɪˈəʊt, ˈkɔɪəʊt, kɔɪˈəʊtɪ /

noun

1. Also called: prairie wolf. a predatory canine mammal, Canis latrans, related to but smaller than the wolf, roaming the deserts and prairies of North America

2. (in Native American legends of the West) a trickster and culture hero represented as a man or as an animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of coyote¹

1825–35; earlier cuiota, cayota < Mexican Spanish coyote < Nahuatl coyōtl

Word History and Origins

Origin of coyote¹

C19: from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl coyotl

Example Sentences

The crickets and cicadas make a ceaseless, deafening buzz, coyotes cry mournfully in the distance, songbirds cheep and squawk at the first hint of dawn.

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“I don’t think the coyotes had ever seen a bear—it was their territory,” Clark said in her Scottish accent, leading a driving tour in an Australian bush hat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A neighborhood WhatsApp chat that used to be filled with observations about coyotes, the occasional bear sighting and Girl Scout cookie sale announcements is dominated by the efforts to return.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the Vermont woods where Mr. Hoagland lives, coyotes have replaced wolves while bobcats have taken the place of Canada lynx.

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Donkeys, including a couple, Clyde and Opal, patrol the vineyards to fend off coyotes, while chickens and sheep rotate through the rows, and hawks and owls are nurtured to deter rodents.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mutt 
• pooch 
• pup