Definition of CANINE

canine

Plural: canines

Noun

  • A dog or other animal of the dog family.
  • one of the four pointed conical teeth (two in each jaw) located between the incisors and the premolars
  • any of various fissiped mammals with nonretractile claws and typically long muzzles
  • Any member of Caninae, the only living subfamily of Canidae.
  • 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.
  • In heterodont mammals, the pointy tooth between the incisors and the premolars; a cuspid.
  • A king and a nine as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em due to phonetic similarity.

Adjective

  • of or relating to a pointed conical tooth
  • of or relating to or characteristic of members of the family Canidae

Adj

  • Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs.
  • Dog-like.
  • Of or pertaining to mammalian teeth which are cuspids or fangs.
  • Of an appetite: depraved or inordinate; used to describe eating disorders.

Examples

  • His play of CANINE landed on a triple-letter score, fetching a lot of points.

Origin / Etymology

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

Synonyms

canid, canine tooth, cuspid, dogtooth, eye tooth, eyetooth, laniary, dog, doglike, dogly, houndly

Scrabble Score: 8

canine: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
canine: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
canine: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

canine: valid Words With Friends Word