canid

noun

ca·​nid ˈka-nəd How to pronounce canid (audio) ˈkā- How to pronounce canid (audio)
: any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous animals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyotes, and the domestic dog

Examples of canid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Previously thought to be early domesticated dogs or tamed wolves living near humans, the animals’ remains were found near woolly mammoth bones that had been burned and cut by humans, suggesting the canids lived near a site where humans butchered mammoths. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 June 2025 Comparisons between the new genomes and those of other canids show that the dire wolf also had a light-colored coat. John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025 In a nondescript field in the northern United States, two white canids race through the snow, their massive paws leaving prints long absent from the modern wilderness. Nia Bowers, USA Today, 24 May 2025 The team compared the genomes with those of living canids such as wolves, jackals and foxes to identify the genetic variants for traits specific to dire wolves, such as white coats and longer, thick fur. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canid

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Canidae, from Canis, type genus, from Latin canis

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of canid was circa 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Canid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canid. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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