coyote

American  

[kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht] / kaɪˈoʊ ti, ˈkaɪ oʊt /

noun

• coyotes,
  plural
• coyote
  plural

1. Also called prairie wolf.  a buffy-gray, wolflike canid, Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.

2. Slang. a contemptible person, especially an avaricious or dishonest one.

3. American Indian Legend. the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.

4. Slang. a person who smuggles immigrants, especially Latin Americans, into the U.S. for a fee.

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coyote British  

/ kɔɪˈəʊt, ˈkɔɪəʊt, kɔɪˈəʊtɪ /

noun

1. Also called: prairie wolf.  a predatory canine mammal, Canis latrans, related to but smaller than the wolf, roaming the deserts and prairies of North America

2. (in Native American legends of the West) a trickster and culture hero represented as a man or as an animal

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• coyote
  plural
• coyotes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of coyote

1825–35; earlier cuiota, cayota < Mexican Spanish coyote < Nahuatl coyōtl

Explanation

A coyote is a wild dog that looks like a small wolf. Coyotes live in nearly every US state, and in most of Canada as well. A coyote is a canine, a relative of the domesticated dog and the wolf. Coyotes are distinctive, different from wolves, because of their relatively small size, delicate paws, and large ears. The word coyote is Mexican Spanish, from an Aztec root, cóyotl, or "trickster." The scientific name of the coyote is Canis latrans, "barking dog" in Latin. Another informal meaning of coyote, used mainly in the US southwest and Mexico, is a smuggler of illegal immigrants.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coyote coyotes

A coyote is bathed in red light; a cougar stalks near a grand piano; a man stands in a tropical jungle surrounded by mist; a pay phone off the hook dangles by its cord.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

It was a cool, overcast day and as the wind rustled the tree leaves, a baby coyote raced across the lawn in the distance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

"The main takeaway is that Echinococcus multilocularis is here, it's pretty prevalent in the local coyote population and people should be aware of potential risks," Hentati said.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

“Tonight, I feel a little like the coyote with no more roadrunner to chase.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

A lone coyote howled somewhere in the dark, and we froze momentarily.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

“Most interestingly — and I find this kind of exciting actually — every night around 10 or 11, you start to hear this gang of coyotes howling,” resident Paul Manganello told KTLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

The coyotes appear to have made themselves quite comfortable in their new home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Many then pay several thousand dollars to smugglers known as coyotes who take them on a grueling journey across the Brazilian border deep in the Amazon rainforest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

With fewer coyotes and bobcats present, foxes appeared to benefit.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

Since early morning was prime hunting time for the coyotes, I would look toward the chicken house.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

Related Words

• mutt
• pooch
• pup