coyote
noun
coy·ote
| \ kī-ˈō-tē
, chiefly Western ˈkī-ˌōt
\
, chiefly Western ˈkī-ˌōt
\
plural coyotes
or coyote
Definition of coyote
1
: a buff-gray to reddish-gray swift carnivorous mammal (Canis latrans) of North America that is closely related to but smaller than the wolf, has a narrow pointed muzzle and triangular ears, hunts singly or in small groups, and is known for its various distinctive vocalizations (such as barks, yips, and howls)
Note: The coyote is often considered a threat to livestock. Despite being hunted and trapped, the coyote has expanded its original range and is found in all states except Hawaii.
2
slang
: one who smuggles immigrants into the U.S.
Illustration of coyote
coyote 1
Examples of coyote in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These small creatures eat seeds, fungi, insects, and other invertebrates, and are in turn eaten by snakes, owls, hawks, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, and other animals. — BostonGlobe.com, "Should we use genetic engineering to prevent Lyme disease?," 23 Aug. 2019 Smaller predators such as coyotes and grey wolves, on the other hand, weathered harsh conditions by adapting to the times. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Fossils Reveal Why Coyotes Outlived Saber-Toothed Cats," 6 Aug. 2019 An advisory committee for Orange County Animal Services worried backyard coops might attract rodents, raccoons, coyotes — and possibly bears — into residential neighborhoods. — Stephen Hudak, orlandosentinel.com, "Apopka man squawks about code violation for chickens: ‘They’re not mine’," 25 July 2019 Patients include native predatorial mammals like bobcats, coyotes and skunks, and native raptors including hawks and owls. — Ramona Sentinel, "Wildlife center seeing record number of patients," 18 July 2019 State wildlife officials say coyotes are in every county in Florida. — Doug Phillips, sun-sentinel.com, "Another coyote spotted: ‘Keep your pets indoors,’ cops tell residents," 17 July 2019 Yet for all the savagery dealt out to the immigrant — the callousness of his government, the shakedowns of the coyotes and cartels, the exploitation of his labor by new American employers — the immigrant himself is not entirely innocent. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "The Selfish Actors of Illegal Immigration," 16 July 2019 This article has been corrected to reflect that Eastern and red wolves were descendants rather than ancestors of gray wolves and coyotes. — The Christian Science Monitor, "Corrections," 4 Mar. 2019 Natural predators — hawks and coyotes — may help keep the ground squirrel population under control. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "Uh oh. Ground squirrels have moved into a Fremont yard," 28 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coyote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for coyote
coyote
noun
English Language Learners Definition of coyote
: a small wild animal that is related to dogs and wolves and that lives in North America
See the full definition for coyote in the English Language Learners Dictionary
coyote
noun
coy·ote
| \ kī-ˈō-tē
, ˈkī-ˌōt\
, ˈkī-ˌōt\
Kids Definition of coyote
: a yellowish to reddish gray doglike animal chiefly of western North America that is closely related to but smaller than the wolf
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