Added 9 October 2026
ovine
/ˈəʊvaɪn/ adjective
In Latin: ovīnus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ovine at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Of or pertaining to or of the nature of or characteristic of a sheep or sheep.
Origin
The adjective is borrowed from Late Latin ovīnus (“ovine”) + English -ine (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). Ovīnus is derived from Latin ovis (“sheep”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ówis (“sheep”), possibly from *h₂ew- (“to clothe oneself, dress; to be dressed”) in the sense of something that provides woollen clothing) + -īnus (suffix with the sense ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives). By surface analysis, ove- + -ine. The noun is derived from the adjective.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)