vulpine

[ vuhl-pahyn, -pin ]

adjective

1. of or resembling a fox.
2. cunning or crafty.

vulpine

/ ˈvʌlpaɪn /

adjective

1. Alsovulpecularvʌlˈpɛkjʊlə of, relating to, or resembling a fox
2. possessing the characteristics often attributed to foxes; crafty, clever, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulpine¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin vulpīnus, equivalent to vulp(ēs) “fox” + -īnus adjective suffix; -ine ¹; from the same root as Greek alṓpēx and alōpós “fox”

Word History and Origins

Origin of vulpine¹

C17: from Latin vulpīnus foxlike, from vulpēs a fox

Example Sentences

Either way, the concept is best encapsulated by Jack Donaghy, the vulpine executive portrayed by Alec Baldwin in the presumably now problematic sitcom “30 Rock.”

From New York Times

His voice could convey flirtatiousness, amusement, heartache or wily agility, and his syncopated phrasing was as close to jazz as to traditional blues, leaping easily into falsetto or letting loose a vulpine howl.

From New York Times

Wrote Frank: “I hope having to replace papers doesn’t negatively affect The Post’s financial status. Maybe The Post should consider expanding to this vulpine demographic and accepting payments in the form of rodent carcasses.”

From Washington Post

A slim, pale, vulpine man in his mid-thirties, with well-tended light-brown hair and a goatee, came onstage, dressed in a trim black suit and a black shirt.

From The New Yorker

There was a vulpine conductor and a violinist, part of an incomplete orchestra and, my favourite, a pair of dancing foxes.

From The Guardian