canid

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noun ca·nid \ ˈka-nəd , ˈkā- \

Definition of canid

:any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous animals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyote, and the domestic dog

Recent Examples of canid from the Web

In the wild, canids such as wolves, foxes and other wild dogs may kick the ground after elimination for sanitary reasons.

— patty khuly, miamiherald, "Dog digging up the yard? Here’s what vet says to try," 17 Aug. 2017
He and his colleagues also checked the genomes of 49 canid species known to live near the plateau, including wolves, dogs and jackals.

— emily underwood, Smithsonian, "How Mastiffs Became the World’s Top Dogs," 24 May 2017
The M-44 device is triggered when a canid (i.e. coyote or wild dog) tugs on the baited capsule holder, releasing the plunger and ejecting sodium cyanide powder into the animal’s mouth.

— National Geographic, "Dog's Death Spotlights Use of Cyanide 'Bombs' to Kill Predators," 20 Apr. 2017
The Keystone XL pipeline route would go through most of the remaining locations of the swift fox, a tiny canid about the size of a house cat.

— National Geographic, "4 Things You Need to Know About the Approved Keystone XL Pipeline," 24 Mar. 2017
Coyotes evolved alongside larger canids, like wolves, which often persecuted and harassed them and killed their pups.

— National Geographic, "How the Most Hated Animal in America Outwitted Us All," 7 Aug. 2016
Bounties were offered for the canids, and eventually their destruction became institutionalized by the U.S. Biological Survey (today called the Fish and Wildlife Service) and U.S. Park Service.

— brian switek, WIRED, "Restoring Missing Lynx – The Rejuvenation of an Ecosystem," 14 June 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.