canine
Americanadjective
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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
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a canid, or member of the dog family Canidae.
-
a dog.
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a canine tooth; cuspid.
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
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any animal of the family Canidae
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a canine tooth
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Characteristic of or resembling dogs, wolves, or related animals.
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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.
Other Word Forms
- caninity noun
- supercanine adjective
Etymology
Origin of canine
1350–1400; Middle English canine canine tooth (< Middle French ) < Latin canīnus, equivalent to can ( is ) dog + -īnus -ine 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To investigate the biological roots of canine temperament, scientists examined the DNA of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog's behavioral profile.
From Science Daily
On our travels round the school, multiple students and teachers stop to say hello to their new canine companion.
From BBC
Widely regarded as the pinnacle for any canine and its owner, both have travelled in unprecedented numbers from around the world this year to come to heel on Crufts' famous green carpets.
From Barron's
By comparing canine and molar teeth, they reconstructed patterns of development during the first six years of life.
From Science Daily
The final novel from Mario Vargas Llosa, Allegra Goodman’s family saga, a case of canine possession and more.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
