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vulpine

adjective
vul·​pine | \ ˈvəl-ˌpīn How to pronounce vulpine (audio) \

Definition of vulpine

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox
2 : foxy, crafty a vulpine smile vulpine charms

Vulpine and Henry David Thoreau

In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated." Thoreau's was far from the first use of vulpine; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, vulpinus (from the noun vulpes, meaning "fox"), was around long before that.

First Known Use of vulpine

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for vulpine

Middle English, from Latin vulpinus, from vulpes fox; perhaps akin to Greek alōpēx fox — more at alopecia

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More Definitions for vulpine

vulpine

adjective
How to pronounce vulpine (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of vulpine

formal : of, relating to, or similar to a fox

See the full definition for vulpine in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on vulpine

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with vulpine

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