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Glite Dictionary
coydog

coydog

1 9.5
An animal born when a coyote and a dog mate
  • noun
  • /ˈkɔɪˌdɔg/
  • US
: coydog

Examples

  • An audience of thirty-seven had turned out at the local ag school to hear me talk about coydogs and maple-sugar pinwheels, but I gave them a dose of the New Moon instead.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • A coydog is often more independent than a regular dog due to its coyote heritage.

  • The coydog howled at the moon, blending sounds of its coyote and dog ancestry.

  • In many areas, a coydog can be seen roaming freely, a reminder of its wild origins.

Surface Forms

coydog singular
coydogs plural

Morphology

coydog = coyote + dog (transparent) = coy + dog

Formed by compounding the names of the two animals ('coyote' + 'dog'), so a learner who knows those bases can infer it denotes their hybrid.

Etymology

Coydog is a blend of coyote (from a Native American word 'coyotl') and dog, so the word literally mixes the two animal names. That is why a coydog is an animal that is part coyote and part domestic dog.