Equine

How to spell equine

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce equine

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does equine mean?

1. adjectiveRelating to or resembling horses.
2. nounA horse or other member of the horse family.

Equine in a sentence

• adjective

  The vet specialises in equine dentistry and treats horses across three counties.

• noun

  Each equine in the paddock was checked by the vet before the show.

• adjective

  Local stables offer equine therapy sessions for riders recovering from injury.

• noun

  The rescue centre rehomes any neglected equine it can take in.

Where does equine come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin equinus, meaning 'of or belonging to a horse', which was built on the noun equus, the ordinary Latin word for a horse. English adopted it as a technical and descriptive term in the early 1700s, chiefly in veterinary, scientific, and agricultural writing where a single word for 'horse-related' was useful. The -ine ending is the same one that gives English a whole stable of animal adjectives, such as canine for dogs, feline for cats, and bovine for cattle, all formed on the same Latin pattern. The classical equus also survives in the constellation name Equuleus, 'the little horse', and in the word 'equestrian', a near cousin from the related Latin equester. The spelling trap is the unexpected qu before the long i sound, so it is written equine rather than the phonetic 'ekwine'.

How the word is built

• equ- (from Latin equus: horse)
• -ine (adjective suffix: relating to, resembling)