coyote

[ kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht ]
/ kaɪˈoʊ ti, ˈkaɪ oʊt /

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

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