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coyotes - 2 dictionary results

coy⋅o⋅te

  [kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht]
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–noun, plural -tes, (especially collectively) -te.
1. 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.
2. Slang. a contemptible person, esp. an avaricious or dishonest one.
3. American Indian Legend. the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.
4. Slang. a person who smuggles Mexican nationals across the border into the U.S. for a fee.
Origin:
1825–35; earlier cuiota, cayota < MexSp coyote < Nahuatl coyōtl
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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coy·o·te   (kī-ō'tē, kī'ōt')   
n.  
  1. A small wolflike carnivorous animal (Canis latrans) native to western North America and found in many other regions of the continent. Also called prairie wolf.
  2. A firefighter who is sent to battle remote, usually very severe forest fires, often for days at a time.
  3. Slang A person who smuggles illegal immigrants into the United States, especially across the Mexican border.

[American Spanish, from Nahuatl cóyotl.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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