coyote

[ kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht ]
/ kaɪˈoʊ ti, ˈkaɪ oʊt /
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noun, plural coy·o·tes, (especially collectively) coy·o·te.

Also called prairie wolf. a buffy-gray, wolflike canid, Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.
Slang. a contemptible person, especially an avaricious or dishonest one.
American Indian Legend. the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.
Slang. a person who smuggles immigrants, especially Latin Americans, into the U.S. for a fee.

Origin of coyote

1825–35; earlier cuiota, cayota < Mexican Spanish coyote < Nahuatl coyōtl

Words nearby coyote

coxswain, coxwell chair, coy, coy., coydog, coyote, coyote state, coyotillo, coypel, coypu, coz

Words related to coyote

mutt, pooch, pup, cur, wolf, chow, hound, dingo, fox, hyena, lobo

Example sentences from the Web for coyote

British Dictionary definitions for coyote

coyote
/ (ˈkɔɪəʊt, kɔɪˈəʊt, kɔɪˈəʊtɪ) /

noun plural -otes or -ote

Also called: prairie wolf a predatory canine mammal, Canis latrans, related to but smaller than the wolf, roaming the deserts and prairies of North America
(in Native American legends of the West) a trickster and culture hero represented as a man or as an animal

Word Origin for coyote

C19: from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl coyotl