canine

Etymology

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

adj

1. Of, or pertaining to, a dog or dogs.
   We carried the dog round to the yard, and I examined his head. […] I accepted the care of the canine patient. 1913, Sax Rohmer, chapter 8, in The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu
   A lost dog sniffed around the flower beds wishing it had some canine company[…] 2005, Gareth Roberts, Only Human, page 17
2. Dog-like.
   In many respects she made me an admirable wife. Her affection for me was canine—positively. 1891, Arthur Quiller-Couch, “The Affair of Bleakirk-on-Sands,”, in Noughts & Crosses
   I look for reflections, in your face Canine devotion, time can't erase Out on the corner, locked in your room I never believe them and I never assume 2000, Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri (lyrics and music), “The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret”, in Rated R, performed by Queens of the Stone Age
3. (anatomy) Of or pertaining to mammalian teeth which are cuspids or fangs.
   Then his upper lip may be seen to be raised, especially at the corners, so that his huge canine teeth are exhibited. 1872, Charles Darwin, chapter 10, in Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals
4. (medicine, obsolete) Of an appetite: depraved or inordinate; used to describe eating disorders.

noun

1. Any member of Caninae, the only living subfamily of Canidae.
   Whatever the case, the pair’s adventure certainly became famous in 2016, when a large dating program of fossils and artefacts from Chauvet Cave, which included the smear of charcoal discarded by the child, confirmed that the tracks constitute the oldest unequivocal evidence of a relationship between humans and canines. 2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 187
2. (formal) 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.
   The canine ran across the room to the open window, put his front paws on the sill and pointed his nose at the sidewalk below. 2010, M. S. Mititch, The Spychip Conspiracy, page 189
3. In heterodont mammals, the pointy tooth between the incisors and the premolars; a cuspid.
   He tried to push Kissu into his cage, but the cougar charged back out and sank his canines into Wilson's rump. 2006, Amy Sutherland, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Animal Trainers
4. (poker slang) A king and a nine as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em due to phonetic similarity.
   You have been dealt King-9 unsuited ("canine") in your pocket. 2005, Dennis Purdy, The Illustrated Guide to Texas Hold'em, page 270