equine
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a horse
-
of, relating to, or belonging to the family Equidae, which comprises horses, zebras, and asses
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of equine
First recorded in 1770–80; from Latin equīnus, equivalent to equ(us) “horse” + -īnus adjective suffix; see -ine 1
Explanation
Equine means having to do with horses. An equine saddle is one used for a horse, as opposed to one for a camel. An equine face is a horse face, and no, that's not a very nice thing to say. Equine is connected to words that refer to animals—bovine means having to do with cows, porcine pigs, feline cats, canine dogs, etc. Many young girls go through an equine phase, where they are obsessed with all things horse—books, dolls, images, and, last but not least, actual horseback riding.
Vocabulary lists containing equine
Horsin' Around
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A Lexical Zoo of Animal Adjectives
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Animal Adjectives
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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.
This led her to open up her farm for non-riding visits to see the donkeys and she trained as an equine assisted learning facilitator.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Every year, as many as 7,000 horses pass through the equine hotel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
The designer, a big supporter of equine therapy, featured 12 dancing horses at her presentation, which she said also celebrated the Chinese year of the horse.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
“A lot of times what the public thinks is the best thing to do, is not, if you understand equine physiology and understand equine health and veterinary care,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
Those unfamiliar with horses might scoff at the notion of equine pride as a silly anthropomorphism, but the behavior is unmistakable.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
