When you hear the word canine, you always think of a dog, right? But did you know there are other adjectives with Latin roots based on animals? I put together this huge list of adjectives for animals that I think would be helpful for writers. Find out how to use words like aquiline, bovine, simian, and murine in your sentences.
What Are Animal Adjectives?
So, the word “canine” is used to describe dogs or creatures showing doglike behavior, and feline is for cats or anything that has cat-like behavior. But more adjectives end in -ian and -ine to describe specific animals. However, it’s important to note that these words may also be used as nouns.
Here are a couple of examples to show you what I mean.
- I am walking my canine friend.
- Canines make the best pets.
- Nothing is better than canine loyalty.
Animal Adjectives List
| Adjective | Animal |
| accipitrine | hawk |
| anserine | goose |
| aquiline | eagle |
| asinine | ass |
| avine | bird |
| bovine | cow |
| bubaline | buffalo |
| cameline | camel |
| cancrine | crab |
| canine | dog |
| caprine | goat |
| cervine | deer |
| corvine | crow, raven |
| crocodiline | crocodile |
| elephantine | elephant |
| equine | horse |
| falconine | falcon |
| feline | cat |
| ferine | any wild animal |
| hippopotamine | hippopotamus |
| hircine | goat |
| hirundine | swallow |
| hystricine | porcupine |
| lacertine | lizard |
| larine | gull |
| leonine | lion |
| leporine | hare |
| lumbricine | earthworm |
| lupine | wolf |
| murine | mouse |
| myrmecophagine | Anteater |
| aleclaphine, bubaline, antilopine | antelope |
| simian | ape |
| tolypeutine | armadillo |
| ovine | sheep |
| pardine | leopard, panther |
| passerine | sparrow |
| pavonine | peacock |
| picine | woodpecker |
| piscine | fish |
| porcine | pig |
| pteropine | bat |
| ranine | frog |
| scolopendrine | centipede |
| serpentine | serpent |
| soricine | shrew |
| struthionine | ostrich |
| suilline | swine |
| taurine | bull |
| tigrine | tiger |
| ursine | bear |
| vespine | wasp |
| viperine | viper |
| vituline | calf |
| viverrine | mongoose |
| vulpine | fox |
| vulturine | vulture |
| zebrine | zebra |
| zibeline | sable |
| anguine | snake |
| arachnoid | spider |
| batrachian | toad |
| bovine | bison |
| cervine | elk |
| cetacean | whale |
| cygnine | swan |
| delphine | dolphin |
| dipterous | fly |
| eusuchian | alligator |
| formic | ant |
| galline | chicken |
| gastropodian | snail |
| vermian | worm |
| murine | rat |
| musteline | badger |
| ostracine | oyster |
| otarine | seal |
| pieridine | butterfly |
| scyphozoan | jellyfish |
| simian | monkey |
| testudine | tortoise |
| vespine | Hornet |
| percesocine | barracuda |
| apiarian | bee |
| rupicaprine | chamois |
| viverrine | civet |
| coralline | coral |
| elapine | cobra |
| didine | dodo |
| myoxine | dormouse |
| draconine | dragon |
| cervine | elk |
| piscine | fish |
| musteline | ferret |
| pulicine | flea |
| pteropine | flying fox |
| vulpine | fox |
| gazelline | gazelle |
| cricetine | gerbil |
| cricetine | hamster |
| hyenine | hyena |
| macropidine | kangaroo |
| hirudine | leech |
| microtine | lemming |
| lemurine | lemur |
| patelline | limpet |
| homarine | lobster |
| pediculine | louse |
| manatine | manatee |
| musteline | marten |
| musteline | mink |
| acarine | mite |
| talpine | mole |
| arctian | moth |
| didelphine | opossum |
| orygine | oryx |
| lutrine | otter |
| pantherine | panther |
| musteline | polecat |
| pythonine | python |
| crotaline | rattlesnake |
| ceratorhine | rhinoceros |
| glirine | rodent |
| capreolinae | roebuck |
| zibeline | sable |
| salamandrine | salamander |
| limacine | slug |
| hippocampine | sea horse |
| atherine | smelt |
| sciurine | squirrel |
| musteline | stoat |
| termitine | termite |
| acarine | tick |
| microtine | vole |
| musteline | weasel |
| pongine | orangutan |
| phascolomian | wombat |
| icterine | blackbird |
| turdine | bluebird |
| pyrrhuline | bullfinch |
| emberizine | bunting |
| buteonine, cathartine | buzzard |
| pyrrhuloxine | cardinal |
| rangiferine | reindeer |
| phalacrocoracine | cormorant |
| phocaenine | porpoise |
| varanine | monitor lizard |
| alectorine | crane |
| cuculine | cuckoo |
| columbine | dove |
| charadrine, scolopacine | woodcock |
| vulturine | vulture |
| meleagrine | turkey |
| cypseline | swift |
| cygnine | swan |
| ciconine | stork |
| oscine | songbird |
| charadrine | snipe |
| coturnix | quail |
| pullastrine | pigeon |
| charadrine | plover |
| alectorine, phasianine | pheasant |
| perdicine | partridge |
| psittacine | parrot |
| struthious | ostrich |
| strutious | ostrich |
| philomelian | nightingale |
| mimine | mockingbird |
| icterine | meadowlark |
| hirundine | martin |
| anatine | mallard |
| garruline | magpie |
| psittacine | macaw |
| milvine | kite |
| halcyonine | kingfisher |
| falconine | kestrel |
| garruline | jay |
| trochiline | hummingbird |
| larine | gull |
| fringilline | finch |
| accipitrine | falcon |
What Is the Animal Adjective for Cats or Kittens?
The animal adjective of cat is feline.
- Feline pregnancy can last nine weeks.
- All cat lovers seem to possess a feline personality.
Other words you can use to describe cats are:
- Bright-eyed
- Family-friendly
- Mellow
What Is the Animal Adjective for Lion?
The animal adjective for a lion is leonine.
- Leonine cubs are reared together.
- Those paw prints are definitely leonine.
Other adjectives you can use here are:
- Angry
- Ferocious
- Majestic
What Is the Animal Adjective of Cow?
The animal adjective of cow is bovine. Here’s an example of it in a sentence.
- Bovine milk contains many nutrients for the growth and development of the calf.
- Farm animal friends can be bovine, porcine, and galline.
Other adjectives associated with cows include:
- Holy
- Milked
- Herbivorous
What Is the Animal Adjective for Chicken?
The correct animal adjective for chicken is galline.
- Galline eggs may be produced for three to four years.
A few other adjectives associated with chickens are:
- Frightened
- Domestic
- Loud
What Is the Adjective for Humans?
The adjective version of human, classified under mammal, is hominine.
- The skeletal pattern is hominine.
- Intentional foolish behavior is evident in hominine traits.
- There’s a sense of mystery around the hominine remains that were found.
Animal Adjectives Ending in “-ine”
Just remember that most animal adjectives end in the letters -ine. It’s one of the common adjective endings alongside -ic, -able, -ible, -al, -ive, -less, and -ous. Here, I made a list of animal adjectives ending in -ine.
| Adjective | Animal |
| anserine | goose |
| aquiline | eagle |
| asinine | ass |
| avine, avian, oscine, passerine, penduline, volucrine | bird |
| bovine | cow |
| isodine | bandicoot |
| bubaline | buffalo |
| cameline | camel |
| cancrine | crab |
| canine | dog |
| caprine | goat |
| corvine | deer |
| corvine | crow, raven |
| crocodiline | crocodile |
| elephantine | elephant |
| equine | horse |
| falconine | falcon |
| feline | cat |
| ferine | any wild animal |
| hippopotamine | hippopotamus |
| hircine | goat |
| hirundine | swallow |
| hystricine | porcupine |
| lacertine | lizard |
| larine | gull |
| leonine | lion |
| leporine | hare |
| lumbricine | earthworm |
| lupine | wolf |
| murine | mouse |
| ovine | sheep |
| pardine | leopard, panther |
| passerine | sparrow |
| pavonine | peacock |
| picine | woodpecker |
| piscine | fish |
| porcine | pig |
| pteropine | bat |
| ranine | frog |
| scolopendrine | centipede |
| serpentine | serpent |
| soricine | shrew |
| struthionine | ostrich |
| suilline | swine |
| taurine | bull |
| tigrine | tiger |
| ursine | bear |
| vespine | wasp |
| viperine | viper |
| vituline | calf |
| viverrine | mongoose |
| vulpine | fox |
| vulturine | vulture |
| zebrine | zebra |
| zibeline | sable |
| anguine | snake |
Note that some adjectives for animals also end in -ian, such as batrachian for toad and gastropodian for snail, which is kind of an obscure term. Although, it would probably be way easier to just say snail.
More Animal Adjectives
Aside from the usual adjectives, here are some other cool words you can use to describe animals.
| Transgenic | Amphibious | Androgynous |
| Anthropoid | Aquatic | Arboreal |
| Articulate | Asexual | Caged |
| Captive | Cold-blooded | Diurnal |
| Domestic | Wild | Drowny |
| Extinct | Feathered | Feral |
| Fluffy | Juvenile | Nocturnal |
| Furred | Lesser | Omnivorous |
| Giant | Lop-eared | Parasitic |
| Gregarious | Man-eating | Petrified |
| Horned | Mangy | Pigmy |
| Pet | Migratory | Poisonous |
| Indigenous | Native | Polymorphous |
| Predatory | Rabid | Savage |
| Purebred | Rogue | Scaly |
| Spineless | Tame | Temperate |
| Territorial | Tolerant | Webbed |
| Aboriginal | Bearded | exotic |
| Terrestrial | Helpless | Asocial |
| Well-trained | Alive | gigantic |
| Odd | Loathsome | Stray |
| Nocturnal | Magnificent | Independent |
| Heraldic | Mindless | Complex |
| Distant | Irrational | Vertebrate |
| Invertebrate | Timid | Graceful |
| Unisexual | Marsupial | Unrestrained |
| Sacrificial | Dociale | Good-natured |
| Gentle | Tribal | Aerial |
| Symbolic | Harmful | Rabid |
| Well-fed | Unfamiliar | Eastern |
| Fat | Leggy | Single-cell |
| Spiritless | Lawless | Useful |
| Ancient | Rapacious | Insensitive |
Summarizing Animal Adjectives
Whether you’re visiting a zoo or an aquarium, or just a writer like me looking to expand your written vocabulary, these animal adjectives can come in handy. Grab this opportunity to learn every word and practice using them in sentences.
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