ca·nid
| \ ˈka-nəd
, ˈkā-
\
, ˈkā-
\
Definition of canid
: any of a family (Canidae) of carnivorous animals that includes the wolves, jackals, foxes, coyote, and the domestic dog
Examples of canid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The scientists also compared the Zhokhov dog’s DNA with an even more ancient canid—a Siberian Pleistocene wolf that lived about 33,000 years ago.
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Jason Bittel, National Geographic, "Humans and dogs have been sledding together for nearly 10,000 years," 25 June 2020
Many canid species, from wolves to African wild dogs, hunt in packs and prefer more open habitats, like tundra or grasslands.
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Cara Giaimo, New York Times, "The Ghost Dogs of the Amazon Get a Bit Less Mysterious," 4 May 2020
At about 11 years of age, the canid was at the upper end of a wild wolf’s lifespan and, during the state’s annual wolf count, OR-7’s pack was observed but the elder wolf was nowhere to be seen.
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oregonlive, "With OR-7 likely dead, a look back at Oregon’s most well-traveled wolf," 20 Apr. 2020
Foxes, of course, are canids, members of the dog family.
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David James, Anchorage Daily News, "New book explores the hidden world of the fabled yet enigmatic fox," 23 Feb. 2020
Because the entire population of wolves, both in the wild and in captivity, is descended from just seven canids, increasing genetic diversity is vital to their long-term viability.
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Debra Utacia Krol, azcentral, "Health of packs studied, new wolves identified in annual Mexican gray wolf count," 10 Feb. 2020
The genetic diversity goal is key to the gray wolf's long-term survival, since the entire species population, which includes the wild population and about 300 canids that live in captivity, is descended from just seven wolves.
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Debra Utacia Krol, azcentral, "Mexican gray wolf population grows by 24% in the 2019 survey," 19 Mar. 2020
Exactly how a few gene changes could transform a canid or a human into everyone’s BFF is unclear, and for unknown reasons, the tendency is stronger in some dogs—cough, Labrador retrievers—than others.
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Popular Science, "Did humans truly domesticate dogs? Canine history is more of a mystery than you think.," 10 Feb. 2020
The device also helps prevent oral tissue injury as the canid’s teeth and mouth are examined.
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Debra Utacia Krol, azcentral, "Health of packs studied, new wolves identified in annual Mexican gray wolf count," 10 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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“Canid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canid. Accessed 7 Mar. 2021.
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Time Traveler for canid
The first known use of canid was circa 1889
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