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Synonyms

equine

American  
[ee-kwahyn, ek-wahyn] / ˈi kwaɪn, ˈɛk waɪn /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a horse or other member of the horse family.

    a bold, equine face.


noun

  1. Also called equid.  a horse or other member of the horse family.

    Her draft horses and mules are some of the finest equines we’ve ever seen.

equine British  
/ ˈɛkwaɪn /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a horse

  2. of, relating to, or belonging to the family Equidae, which comprises horses, zebras, and asses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

equine Scientific  
/ ēkwīn′,ĕkwīn′ /
  1. Characteristic of or resembling horses or related animals, such as donkeys.


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.

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Vocabulary lists containing equine

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.

See Examples For:

Saulque and Kauk are part of an Indigenous-led coalition that has sought to help manage the horses that they call “family,” proposing to run a pack station and orchestrate equine therapy.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 30, 2026

He has been studying equine therapy and helping train Rusty.

From BBC Jun. 14, 2026

The 5th Circuit’s ruling neuters a law that Congress enacted in 2020 to impose nationwide standards on the horse racing industry after the existing state-by-state patchwork failed to prevent equine fatalities and corruption scandals.

From Slate Jun. 12, 2026

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

The thing has a pointed equine face with flaring nostrils and angry red eyes.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

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