Meaning & use
canine
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Connected with dogs, or with the wider group of animals that includes dogs, wolves, foxes and jackals.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a canine companion, canine behavior; it does not normally stand alone after be.
Patterns
- canine companion
- canine behavior
The vet specializes in canine diseases.
A canine unit helped the police search the building.
Wolves and coyotes show many canine habits, such as howling.
nouncountableformalhumorous
A dog, or any member of the dog family; often used in a slightly formal or humorous way for a pet dog.
Grammar: Countable: a friendly canine, several canines.
Patterns
- a loyal canine
The park has a separate area where canines can run without a leash.
Our neighbor's canine barks every time the mail arrives.
Fossils show that early canines hunted in packs.
nouncountabletechnical
One of the four pointed teeth in the human mouth, or one of the long pointed teeth of many mammals, located between the front teeth and the cheek teeth.
Grammar: Countable and usually described by position: an upper canine; also called an eyetooth or cuspid.
Patterns
- an upper/lower canine
The dentist said one of my upper canines had not yet come through.
Lions use their long canines to grip prey.
Humans have four canines, which help tear food.
Word forms
| plural | canines |
|---|
Common combinations
- canine teeth
- Dogs and cats have sharp canine teeth for tearing meat.
- canine companion
- She hiked every weekend with her canine companion.
- canine unit
- A canine unit was brought in to find the missing child.
- canine distemper
- Vaccines protect puppies from canine distemper.
- canine loyalty
- The story is a tribute to canine loyalty.
- upper canine
- The upper canine on the left side was loose.
Synonyms and how they differ
- doggy
- Doggy is an informal, childlike adjective, whereas canine is neutral and suits scientific or professional writing.
- dog
- Dog is the ordinary everyday noun, while canine as a noun sounds formal or humorous and also covers wolves and foxes.
- cuspid
- Cuspid is a dental word for the pointed tooth, used by dentists, and is less common than canine for the same tooth.
Opposites
Word family
- canid noun
- any animal belonging to the dog family, used in scientific writing
Commonly confused: canine or feline? canine or cannon?
canine vs feline
Feline relates to cats, while canine relates to dogs. They are opposite pet categories.
canine vs cannon
A cannon is a large gun. It is a different word despite the similar sound at the start.
Practice
A dentist says you have a sharp upper canine. What is a canine here?
Choose one answer.
A canine tooth is the pointed one next to the incisors, used for tearing. Molars grind, and wisdom teeth are the last molars at the back.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canine”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.