canine

American  

[key-nahyn] / ˈkeɪ naɪn /

adjective

1. of or like a dog; relating to or characteristic of dogs.

   canine loyalty.

2. 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.

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noun

• canines
  plural

1. a canid, or member of the dog family Canidae.

2. a dog.

3. a canine tooth; cuspid.

canine British  

/ ˈkeɪnaɪn, ˈkæn- /

adjective

1. of or resembling a dog; doglike

2. 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)

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

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noun

1. any animal of the family Canidae

2. a canine tooth

canine Scientific  

/ kā′nīn /

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

2. 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.

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1. A canine tooth.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• caninity
  noun
• supercanine
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• canines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canine

1350–1400; Middle English canine canine tooth (< Middle French ) < Latin canīnus, equivalent to can ( is ) dog + -īnus -ine ¹

Explanation

Canine is how zoologists refer to all mammals with snouts and non-retractable claws. Sound familiar? That's right, Fido is a canine. (All dogs are.) Coyotes and wolves are canines, too. The sharp pointy teeth in your mouth are also called canines. Like wolves, we use these sharp incisors to tear meat from the bone, though these days we tend to get some help in that department from knives and forks. Fun fact: The police call their drug-sniffing dogs the K-9 unit. Get it?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canine canines

Firefighters, including a canine search unit, inspected the site.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Stable isotope studies of ancient bones also show just how closely human and canine lives were connected.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Cuaya and Hernández-Pérez also hope their findings will help show people to communicate more effectively with their own beloved canine companions.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

One is about the dog that accompanied—and inspired—the Cynic philosopher Diogenes; another centers on the canine companion of a Buddhist monk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Oso was at the fence, sniffing at our canine neighbor, Maggie, this little white creature that’s more fur than dog.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Asked about the fate of the thousands of unaccounted-for canines, he acknowledged they had likely "already been eaten."

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

Research into augmentative and alternative communication systems has demonstrated that some dogs can learn to use soundboards that “speak” for the canines and combine concepts in unexpectedly sophisticated ways.

From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026

Activists in white hazmat suits carry floppy-eared canines away as he waves papers at a police officer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

But for those who may be allergic to dogs or live with cynophobia - the extreme fear of dogs or canines - they say the rise of dog-friendly spaces is a growing concern.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026

Their noses were snoutlike, and their teeth were all pointed canines.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• mutt
• pooch
• pup