English Explanatory Dictionary

ovine

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Of, being, pertaining to, or resembling a sheep; also, (not comparable) of an animal: from the genus Ovis.
  2. Resembling a sheep in character; acquiescent, easily influenced, passive, or willing to follow a leader blindly.
noun
  1. An animal from the genus Ovis; a sheep.
  2. A person regarded as resembling a sheep in character; one who is acquiescent, easily influenced, passive, or willing to follow a leader blindly; a sheep.

Pronunciation

/ˈəʊvaɪn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-ovine.wav /ˈoʊˌvaɪn/

Word forms

ovine more ovine most ovine ovines

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

sheepish sheeplike sheepy

Antonyms

nonovine

Related words

oviform Ovinae ovination Ovis sheeple

Derived words

antiovine corticorelin ovine triflutate infectious ovine keratoconjunctivitis nonovine ovine acetonaemia ovine acetonemia ovine babesiosis ovine-caprine lentivirus ovine ecthyma vaccine ovine foot rot ovine genital campylobacteriosis ovine genital vibriosis ovinely ovine mastitis ovine progressive pneumonia ovine pulmonary adenomatosis ovine smallpox ovinized ovispirin
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