[sam-uh-yed, suh-moi-id] 
| 1. | a member of a Uralic people dwelling in W Siberia and the far NE parts of European Russia. |
| 2. | Also, Samoyedic. a subfamily of Uralic languages spoken by the Samoyed people. |
| 3. | (sometimes lowercase ) one of a Russian breed of medium-sized dogs that have long, dense, white or cream hair and are used by the Samoyed people for herding reindeer and pulling sleds. |
| Nen·ets (něn'ěts) n. pl. Nenets In both senses also called Samoyed.
[Nenets, human being, Nenets.] |
| Sam·o·yed also Sam·o·yede (sām'ə-yěd', -oi-ěd', sə-moi'ĭd) n.
[Obsolete Russian samoyed (samo-, self; see samovar + -ed, eater; see ed- in Indo-European roots), by folk etymology from Lapp sāmḿ emḿne, land of the Sami.] Sam'o·yed' adj., Sam'o·yed'ic adj. |