From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Prairie \Prai"rie\, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie,
LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.]
1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of
trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually
characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound
throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies
and the Rocky mountains.
[1913 Webster]
From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow.
[1913 Webster]
2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called
natural meadow.
[1913 Webster]
{Prairie chicken} (Zool.), any American grouse of the genus
{Tympanuchus}, especially {Tympanuchus Americanus}
(formerly {Tympanuchus cupido}), which inhabits the
prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the
sharp-tailed grouse.
{Prairie clover} (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus
{Petalostemon}, having small rosy or white flowers in
dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in
the prairies of the United States.
{Prairie dock} (Bot.), a coarse composite plant ({Silphium
terebinthaceum}) with large rough leaves and yellow
flowers, found in the Western prairies.
{Prairie dog} (Zool.), a small American rodent ({Cynomys
Ludovicianus}) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the
plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in
the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like
that of a dog. Called also {prairie marmot}.
{Prairie grouse}. Same as {Prairie chicken}, above.
{Prairie hare} (Zool.), a large long-eared Western hare
({Lepus campestris}). See {Jack rabbit}, under 2d {Jack}.
{Prairie hawk}, {Prairie falcon} (Zool.), a falcon of Western
North America ({Falco Mexicanus}). The upper parts are
brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under
parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown.
{Prairie hen}. (Zool.) Same as {Prairie chicken}, above.
{Prairie itch} (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with
intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and
Western United States; -- also called {swamp itch},
{winter itch}.
{Prairie marmot}. (Zool.) Same as {Prairie dog}, above.
{Prairie mole} (Zool.), a large American mole ({Scalops
argentatus}), native of the Western prairies.
{Prairie pigeon}, {Prairie plover}, or {Prairie snipe}
(Zool.), the upland plover. See {Plover}, n., 2.
{Prairie rattlesnake} (Zool.), the massasauga.
{Prairie snake} (Zool.), a large harmless American snake
({Masticophis flavigularis}). It is pale yellow, tinged
with brown above.
{Prairie squirrel} (Zool.), any American ground squirrel of
the genus {Spermophilus}, inhabiting prairies; -- called
also {gopher}.
{Prairie turnip} (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous
root of a leguminous plant ({Psoralea esculenta}) of the
Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also
{pomme blanche}, and {pomme de prairie}.
{Prairie warbler} (Zool.), a bright-colored American warbler
({Dendroica discolor}). The back is olive yellow, with a
group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and
the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of
the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer
tail feathers partly white.
{Prairie wolf}. (Zool.) See {Coyote}.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Wolf \Wolf\, n.; pl. {Wolves}. [OE. wolf, wulf, AS. wulf; akin
to OS. wulf, D. & G. wolf, Icel. [=u]lfr, Sw. ulf, Dan. ulv,
Goth. wulfs, Lith. vilkas, Russ. volk', L. lupus, Gr. ly`kos,
Skr. v[.r]ka; also to Gr. "e`lkein to draw, drag, tear in
pieces. [root]286. Cf. {Lupine}, a., {Lyceum}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of wild and savage
carnivores belonging to the genus {Canis} and closely
allied to the common dog. The best-known and most
destructive species are the European wolf ({Canis lupus}),
the American gray, or timber, wolf ({Canis occidentalis}),
and the prairie wolf, or coyote. Wolves often hunt in
packs, and may thus attack large animals and even man.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) One of the destructive, and usually hairy, larvae
of several species of beetles and grain moths; as, the bee
wolf.
[1913 Webster]
3. Fig.: Any very ravenous, rapacious, or destructive person
or thing; especially, want; starvation; as, they toiled
hard to keep the wolf from the door.
[1913 Webster]
4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries.
[1913 Webster]
5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. {Lupus}. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf
into thy side. --Jer. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Mus.)
(a) The harsh, howling sound of some of the chords on an
organ or piano tuned by unequal temperament.
(b) In bowed instruments, a harshness due to defective
vibration in certain notes of the scale.
[1913 Webster]
7. (Textile Manuf.) A willying machine. --Knight.
[1913 Webster]
{Black wolf}. (Zool.)
(a) A black variety of the European wolf which is common
in the Pyrenees.
(b) A black variety of the American gray wolf.
{Golden wolf} (Zool.), the Thibetan wolf ({Canis laniger});
-- called also {chanco}.
{Indian wolf} (Zool.), an Asiatic wolf ({Canis pallipes})
which somewhat resembles a jackal. Called also {landgak}.
{Prairie wolf} (Zool.), the coyote.
{Sea wolf}. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary.
{Strand wolf} (Zool.) the striped hyena.
{Tasmanian wolf} (Zool.), the zebra wolf.
{Tiger wolf} (Zool.), the spotted hyena.
{To keep the wolf from the door}, to keep away poverty; to
prevent starvation. See {Wolf}, 3, above. --Tennyson.
{Wolf dog}. (Zool.)
(a) The mastiff, or shepherd dog, of the Pyrenees,
supposed by some authors to be one of the ancestors of
the St. Bernard dog.
(b) The Irish greyhound, supposed to have been used
formerly by the Danes for chasing wolves.
(c) A dog bred between a dog and a wolf, as the Eskimo
dog.
{Wolf eel} (Zool.), a wolf fish.
{Wolf fish} (Zool.), any one of several species of large,
voracious marine fishes of the genus {Anarrhichas},
especially the common species ({Anarrhichas lupus}) of
Europe and North America. These fishes have large teeth
and powerful jaws. Called also {catfish}, {sea cat}, {sea
wolf}, {stone biter}, and {swinefish}.
{Wolf net}, a kind of net used in fishing, which takes great
numbers of fish.
{Wolf's peach} (Bot.), the tomato, or love apple
({Lycopersicum esculentum}).
{Wolf spider} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of running
ground spiders belonging to the genus {Lycosa}, or family
{Lycosidae}. These spiders run about rapidly in search of
their prey. Most of them are plain brown or blackish in
color. See Illust. in App.
{Zebra wolf} (Zool.), a savage carnivorous marsupial
({Thylacinus cynocephalus}) native of Tasmania; -- called
also {Tasmanian wolf}.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Coyote \Coy"o*te\ (k?"?-t? or k?"?t), n. [Spanish Amer., fr.
Mexican coyotl.] (Zool.)
A carnivorous animal ({Canis latrans}), allied to the dog,
found in the western part of North America; -- called also
{prairie wolf}. Its voice is a snapping bark, followed by a
prolonged, shrill howl.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
prairie wolf
n 1: small wolf native to western North America [syn: {coyote},
{prairie wolf}, {brush wolf}, {Canis latrans}]
|
