Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, resembling, or characteristic of a fox.
  • adjective Cunning; clever.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to a fox; technically, resembling the fox as a member of tho Vulpinæ; related to the foxes; alopecoid: distinguished from lupine or thoöid.
  • Resembling a fox in traits or disposition; also, characteristic of the fox; foxy; cunning; crafty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to the fox; resembling the fox; foxy; cunning; crafty; artful.
  • adjective (Zoöl.) an Australian carnivorous marsupial (Phalangista vulpina syn. Trichosurus vulpina); -- called also vulpine phalanger, and vulpine opossum.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Pertaining to a fox.
  • adjective Having the characteristics of a fox, foxlike; cunning.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective resembling or characteristic of a fox

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin vulpīnus, from vulpēs, fox; see wl̥p-ē- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin vulpinus ("foxy, fox-like"), from vulpēs, earlier volpēs ("fox"), from Proto-Indo-European *wl(o)p- (“fox”). Cognate with Welsh llywarn ("fox"), Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alōpēks), Armenian աղուէս (aluēs), Albanian dhelpër, Lithuanian vilpišỹs ("wildcat"), Sanskrit lopāśa ("jackal, fox").

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Examples

  • I remember that as we said good-bye, there was that in her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa, the

    THE HUSSY 2010

  • I remember that as we said good-by there was that in her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa, the Wise.

    “It was the Golden Fleece ready for the shearing.” 2008

  • I remember that as we said good-bye, there was that in her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa, the

    The Hussy 1918

  • I remember that as we said good-bye, there was that in her smile that recalled the vulpine complacency of Mona Lisa, the

    The Red One Jack London 1896

  • The vulpine Evtushenko, although an accomplished technician and a past mistress of Lock's supercharged style, is never an autonomous being, but is always manipulated, shaped and turned by men.

    La La La Human Steps – review 2011

  • Lyons père was a young lawyer writing a weekly column for the Sunday English-language page of the Yiddish Forward when he won a Post contest to find a challenger to Walter Winchell, the vulpine king of newspaper gossip.

    Before Gossip Was Gawkerfied Edward Kosner 2011

  • And when he later threatens the recalcitrant Goneril that her sister will "with her nails flay thy wolfish visage", he brandishes his own vulpine claw in her face.

    King Lear – review 2011

  • I nodded at recollection of the vulpine-face superintendent of the Sierra Mills.

    Chapter 19: Transformation 2010

  • All traces of courtly refinement and laconic humour had vanished; he was now callous and vulpine, the renegade spirit of the hoodlum streets returning to his lost playground.

    Ballardian » Simon O’Carrigan’s The Drowned World 2010

  • Shane Warne's return to the Sky box has allowed British viewers a first sighting of his vulpine new look, sparking more rumours of a face lift.

    The Nursery End 2011

Comments

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  • from Ruskin.

    October 1, 2007

  • Also: Cunning; clever.

    (n. vulpinism)

    January 29, 2009

  • A slow secret smile swept into Harkaway,s face. It was wolfish, ursine, vulpine. Cold Comfort Farm.

    February 23, 2013

  • A slow snark crept across bilby's face when he read prose that was asinine, asinine, asinine. Cold Vomit Repository.

    February 23, 2013