canid

American  

[kan-id, key-nid] / ˈkæn ɪd, ˈkeɪ nɪd /

noun

1. any animal of the dog family Canidae, including the wolves, jackals, hyenas, coyotes, foxes, and domestic dogs.

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canid Scientific  

/ kăn′ĭd,kā′nĭd /

1. Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Canidae, which includes the dogs, wolves, foxes, coyotes, and jackals.

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Etymology

Origin of canid

1885–90; < New Latin Canidae, equivalent to Can ( is ) a genus, including the dog and wolf ( Latin: dog) + -idae -id ²

Explanation

Canids are a family of mammals that include wolves, foxes, and jackals. Even if a pet Chihuahua is small enough to fit in a tote bag, it's still a canid. The word canid is just a scientific way to say "dog." All dog-like animals fall into this category, and every canid can be traced back to a common ancestor — from dingoes and coyotes to the goofy Golden retriever that sneaks onto your bed every night. Canid is from the Modern Latin Canidae and a root word meaning "dog."

Example Sentences

The study began in 2014 and examined 643 canid skulls from both modern and archaeological sources, including recognized breeds, street dogs, and wolves.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

Though the warrah is not related to the culpeo fox, its closest relative is Dusicyon avus, the most common canid in Fuego-Patagonian archaeological sites.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2024

This means that an afflicted human could change from human to monstrous canid and back again every two hours, staying in wolf form for a full hour at a time.

From Scientific American • Oct. 27, 2023

On the morning of July 6, Michelle Harris saw a huge canid with yellow eyes dash across a fire road lined with charred snags and giant sequoias blackened by recent wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2023

A weathered, posterior part of a canid skull was found in dunes at Camp 2 on July 10, and a partial left mandible was taken on the beach at Camp 1 on July 6.

From Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, M?xico by Johnston, Richard F.