canine

1 of 2

noun

ca·​nine ˈkā-ˌnīn 

 British also  ˈka-

1

[Middle English, from Latin (dens) caninus canine tooth] : a conical pointed tooth

especially : one situated between the lateral incisor and the first premolar see tooth illustration

2

: dog sense 1b

broadly : canid

canine

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of or resembling that of a dog

canine loyalty

2

: of or relating to dogs or to the family (Canidae) including the canids

canine diseases

Did you know?

Dogs are prized for their talents and intelligence but aren't always given credit for their independence. Instead, tales of canine devotion and attachment are legendary; the old Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin television series featured at least one heroic act of devotion per show. So we often hear people described as having "doglike devotion" or "doglike loyalty". But canine itself, unlike doglike, usually refers to four-legged creatures. Canine is not only an adjective but also a noun. Dogs and their relatives in the Canidae family—the wolves, jackals, foxes, and coyotes—are often called canines. And so are those two slightly pointed teeth a bit to the right and left of your front teeth.

Synonyms

Noun

• dog
• doggy
• doggie
• hound
• pooch
• tyke
• tike

Examples of canine in a Sentence

Noun

in the minds of some, the winner of this prestigious dog show has a fair claim to the title of King of the Canines

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a now-viral video posted to TikTok by the canine's owner (@blueandnessa), the small dog is seen staging a protest of sorts—staring down his owner with impatient resolve before dramatically knocking over his empty food bowl. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025

Zavaleta said the committee’s initial recommendation had been in response in part to concerns about indiscriminate killing of coyotes raised by animal rights groups, which continued to press Thursday for protections for the wild canines. —Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 16 May 2025

Adjective

The 2024 Stanley Pup featured such canine players as Sergei Bobruffsky, Connor McDoodle and Alex Ofetchkin. —Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

The survey of 1,900 U.S. dog owners found that those born between 1981 and 1996 had a strong preference for canine companionship; a significant 60 percent reported their dog as a better companion than their best friend. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin caninus, from canis dog — more at hound

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing canine

• canine companion
• canine distemper
• canine unit

Rhymes for canine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• carbine

Kids Definition

canine

1 of 2 adjective

ca·​nine ˈkā-ˌnīn 

: of or relating to dogs or to the family that includes the dogs, wolves, jackals, and foxes

canine

2 of 2 noun

1

: a pointed tooth

especially : one located between the outer incisor and the first premolar

2

: dog entry 1 sense 1a, b

Etymology

Adjective

from Latin caninus "having to do with dogs," from canis "dog"

Medical Definition

canine

1 of 2 noun

ca·​nine

ˈkā-ˌnīn, British also ˈkan-ˌīn

1

: a conical pointed tooth

especially : one situated between the lateral incisor and the first premolar

2

: any member of the family Canidae : dog

canine

2 of 2 adjective

: of or relating to dogs or to the family Canidae