vulpine

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin vulpīnus (“foxy, fox-like”), from vulpēs, earlier volpēs (“fox”), from Proto-Indo-European *wl(o)p- (“fox”). Cognate with Welsh llywarn (“fox”), Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx), Armenian աղուէս (aġuēs), Albanian dhelpër, Lithuanian vilpišỹs (“wildcat”), Sanskrit लोपाश (lopāśa, “jackal, fox”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈvʌlpaɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌlpaɪn

Adjective

vulpine (comparative more vulpine, superlative most vulpine)

1. Pertaining to a fox.
   • 1910, Saki [pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Bag”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 80:

     She dared not raise her eyes above the level of the tea-table, and she almost expected to see a spot of accusing vulpine blood drip down and stain the whiteness of the cloth.

2. Having the characteristics of a fox; foxlike; cunning.

Translations

pertaining to a fox

• Arabic: ثَعْلَبِيّ (ṯaʕlabiyy)
• Belarusian: лісі́ны (lisíny)
• Bulgarian: лиси́чи (bg) (lisíči)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 狐狸的 (zh) (húli de)

• Czech: liščí (cs)
• Dutch: vossen- (nl)
• Esperanto: vulpa
• French: vulpin (fr)
• Georgian: ^{(please verify)} მელიასებური (meliaseburi)
• German: Fuchs- (de)
• Greek: αλεπουδίσιος (el) (alepoudísios)
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: キツネの (ja) (kitsune no)
• Korean: 여우의 (ko) (yeou-ui)
• Latin: vulpīnus
• Macedonian: лисичји (lisičji)
• Polish: lisi (pl)
• Portuguese: vulpino (pt)
• Romanian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: ли́сий (ru) (lísij), лиси́ный (ru) (lisínyj), лиси́чий (ru) (lisíčij)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: лѝсичјӣ

  Roman: lìsičjī (sh)

• Slovak: líščí
• Slovene: lisičji
• Ukrainian: ли́сячий (lýsjačyj), лиси́чий (lysýčyj)

foxlike

• Bulgarian: лиси́чи (bg) (lisíči)
• Dutch: vosachtig
• Esperanto: vulpa
• French: vulpin (fr)
• Georgian: ^{(please verify)} მელიასებური (meliaseburi)
• Latin: vulpinus
• Russian: ли́сий (ru) (lísij)

Noun

vulpine (plural vulpines)

1. Any of certain canids called foxes (including true foxes, arctic foxes and grey foxes), distinguished from canines, which are regarded as similar to dogs and wolves.
   • 1980, Michael Wilson Fox, The Soul of the Wolf, unnumbered page:

     The family Canidae consists of two main subgroups, the vulpines (foxes) and the canines (wolves, coyotes, jackals, and dogs), and some intermediate “fox-dog” forms from South America.

2. A person considered cunning.

See also

• canine
• lupine
• Vulpini (tribe within subfamily Caninae)

Anagrams

• liven up

French

Adjective

vulpine

1. feminine singular of vulpin

Latin

Adjective

vulpīne

1. vocative masculine singular of vulpīnus