canine

From Latin canīnus (“of dogs, dog-like”), from canis (“dog”). Compare French canin. Doublet of hound.

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kāʹnīn, kaʹnīn, (rare) kə-nīnʹ, IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪnaɪn/, /ˈkænaɪn/, (rare) /kəˈnaɪn/[1]
• (General American) enPR: kāʹnīn', (rare) kə-nīnʹ, IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪˌnaɪn/, (rare) /kəˈnaɪn/[1]

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪnaɪn, -ænaɪn, -aɪn
• Homophone: K9
• Hyphenation: ca‧nine

canine (not comparable)

1. Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs.
   • 1913, Sax Rohmer, The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu, ch. 8,

     We carried the dog round to the yard, and I examined his head. . . . I accepted the care of the canine patient.

   • 2005, Gareth Roberts, Only Human, page 17

     A lost dog sniffed around the flower beds wishing it had some canine company […]

2. Dog-like.
   • 1891, Arthur Quiller-Couch, "The Affair of Bleakirk-on-Sands," Noughts & Crosses,

     In many respects she made me an admirable wife. Her affection for me was canine—positively.

3. (anatomy) Of or pertaining to mammalian teeth which are cuspids or fangs.
   • 1872, Charles Darwin, Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals, ch. 10,

     Then his upper lip may be seen to be raised, especially at the corners, so that his huge canine teeth are exhibited.

4. (medicine, obsolete) Of an appetite: depraved or inordinate; used to describe eating disorders.

• (of dogs): dogly, houndly
• (dog-like): dogly, doglike, houndly

canine (plural canines)

1. Any member of Caninae, the only living subfamily of Canidae.
2. (formal) Any of certain extant canids regarded as similar to the dog or wolf (including coyotes, jackals, etc.) but distinguished from the vulpines, which are regarded as fox-like.
   • 2010, M. S. Mititch, The Spychip Conspiracy, page 189

     The canine ran across the room to the open window, put his front paws on the sill and pointed his nose at the sidewalk below.

3. In heterodont mammals, the pointy tooth between the incisors and the premolars; a cuspid.
   • 2006, Amy Sutherland, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Animal Trainers

     He tried to push Kissu into his cage, but the cougar charged back out and sank his canines into Wilson's rump.

4. (poker slang) A king and a nine as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em due to phonetic similarity.
   • 2005, Dennis Purdy, The Illustrated Guide to Texas Hold'em, page 270

     You have been dealt King-9 unsuited ("canine") in your pocket.

• (dog or wolf): dog
• (pointy tooth): cuspid

• lupine
• vulpine
• Canini (tribe within subfamily Caninae)
• cain

• Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. →ISBN

• neanic

• IPA^(key): /ka.nin/

canine

1. feminine singular of canin.

canine f (plural canines)

1. canine, cuspid.

• “canine” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• ancien

canine

1. feminine plural of canino

canīne

1. vocative masculine singular of canīnus