canine

[ key-nahyn ]

/ ˈkeɪ naɪn /

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See synonyms for: canine / canines on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or like a dog; relating to or characteristic of dogs: canine loyalty.

Anatomy, Zoology. of or relating to the four pointed teeth, especially prominent in dogs, situated one on each side of each jaw, next to the incisors.

noun

a canid, or member of the dog family Canidae.

a dog.

a canine tooth; cuspid.

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Origin of canine

1350–1400; Middle English canine canine tooth (<Middle French ) <Latin canīnus, equivalent to can(is) dog + -īnus-ine¹

OTHER WORDS FROM canine

ca·nin·i·ty

[key-nin-i-tee], /keɪˈnɪn ɪ ti/, nounsu·per·ca·nine, adjective, noun

Words nearby canine

canicola fever, Canicula, canicular, canid, canikin, canine, canine distemper, canine leptospirosis, canine parvovirus, canines, canine tooth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use canine in a sentence

To figure out the human equivalent for a dog’s age, most people just multiply by seven how long their canine has been around.
Here’s the summer science you might have missed|Janet Raloff|September 1, 2020|Science News For Students
For example, Mychenberg’s dog Hercules will react to people and other canines, so they taught him to heel to her right side.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
There are many to choose from, including models that can help keep an eager canine from pulling on the leash.
The right way to walk your dog|John Kennedy|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
New research suggests the change is happening only in places where the wild canine’s populations are controlled with poison.
Culling dingoes with poison may be making them bigger|Jake Buehler|August 19, 2020|Science News

This allowed the canines to sniff a sample without touching it.
Viral scents? Dogs sniff out coronavirus in human sweat|Sharon Oosthoek|August 19, 2020|Science News For Students
Me & Dog is off to a promising start and Mary Magdalene has some canine companionship.
Are You There, Nobody? It’s Me, Margaret|Candida Moss|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Marines on skis and snowboards, several with leashed canine companions at their sides.
Homefront Veterans: Skiing With Wounded Warriors|John Kael Weston|February 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Catcoin And so explains the birth of Catcoin, the latest creation hell-bent on knocking its canine counterpart off its perch.
Dogecoin, Coinye, & Catcoin: A Dummy’s Guide to Cryptocurrencies|Charlotte Lytton|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Professional shows weren't his thing, but this canine will wear just about anything and pose for the camera.
Meet Butters, the Christmas Dog Model|Michael Daly|December 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Right after all the parades for record-setting grain harvests and successful launches of canine cosmonauts.
The Abysmal, Pathetic Obamacare Rollout|Nick Gillespie|October 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As the caravan came nearer, David was convinced that he saw before him the owner of the cache and the canine.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson
The specimens from Honduras have a basal cusp on the hinder edge of the lower canine.
A Synopsis of the American Bats of the Genus Pipistrellus|Walter W. Dalquest
The canine teeth are proportionally much thicker and longer than those of men.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
His tail is very short, not exceeding two or three inches; his canine teeth are much thicker and longer than those of man.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
He has six incisive and two canine teeth in each jaw, without reckoning the grinders.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon

British Dictionary definitions for canine

canine

/ (ˈkeɪnaɪn, ˈkæn-) /

adjective

of or resembling a dog; doglike

of, relating to, or belonging to the Canidae, a family of mammals, including dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes, typically having a bushy tail, erect ears, and a long muzzle: order Carnivora (carnivores)

of or relating to any of the four teeth, two in each jaw, situated between the incisors and the premolars

noun also: canid (ˈkænɪd)

any animal of the family Canidae

a canine tooth

Word Origin for canine

C17: from Latin canīnus, from canis dog

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for canine

canine

[ kā′nīn ]

Adjective

Characteristic of or resembling dogs, wolves, or related animals.

Relating to any of the four pointed teeth located behind the incisors in most mammals. In carnivores, the canine teeth are adapted for cutting and tearing meat.

Noun

A canine tooth.

canine

Origin of canine

OTHER WORDS FROM canine

Words nearby canine

Words related to canine

How to use canine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for canine

Word Origin for canine

Scientific definitions for canine