Definition of OVINE

ovine

Plural: ovines

Adjective

  • of or pertaining to or of the nature of or characteristic of a sheep or sheep

Adj

  • Of, being, pertaining to, or resembling a sheep; also, (not comparable) of an animal: from the genus Ovis.
  • Resembling a sheep in character; acquiescent, easily influenced, passive, or willing to follow a leader blindly.

Noun

  • A sheep or an animal closely related to sheep.
  • An animal from the genus Ovis; a sheep.
  • A person regarded as resembling a sheep in character; one who is acquiescent, easily influenced, passive, or willing to follow a leader blindly; a sheep.

Examples

  • He had an ovine tendency to follow the same predictable Scrabble openings.

Origin / Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Late Latin ovīnus (“ovine”) + English -ine (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). Ovīnus is derived from Latin ovis (“sheep”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis (“sheep”), possibly from *h₂ew- (“to clothe oneself, dress; to be dressed”) in the sense of something that provides woollen clothing) + -īnus (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives).
The noun is derived from the adjective.

Antonyms

nonovine

Scrabble Score: 8

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

Words With Friends Score: 10

ovine: valid Words With Friends Word