canine

American  

[kay-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

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Etymology

Origin of canine

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

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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

Footage shows waves licking the wreckage as multiple responders attempted to free the canine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

Her heavy metal performances trumped nine other finalists, including magician acts, canine performers and even a robot dance crew.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Before seeing “The Dog Stars,” which also came out this summer and stars Jacob Elordi and another pooch, I looked into what happens to its canine star.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The similarities could allow scientists to use knowledge already gained from human research to improve canine health, while also using dogs to study how aging develops across an entire lifespan.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 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

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

Under a $1.6-million annual contract with the city, a nonprofit group called Dogs Playing for Life ensures that shelter dogs get out of their kennels for walks, play time with other canines and human interaction.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 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

But would the feature ever extend beyond canines?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

She pulled back her lips, showing off enormous canines, and began to roar.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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Related Words

• mutt
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