Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small wild canine native to western North America: The coyote is a species of canine closely related to the wolf, known for its adaptability and distinctive howl.
   • A person who smuggles illegal immigrants into the United States (typically across the Mexican border): This slang term refers to a human smuggler, often operating in dangerous conditions.
   • A forest firefighter deployed to battle remote and severe wildfires: This is a specialized term for a firefighter who works on extended campaigns against major forest fires.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • We heard a coyote howling in the distance last night.
  • The coyote is a highly adaptable predator found throughout North America.
• Noun (Smuggler):
  • The migrants paid a coyote to guide them across the desert.
  • Authorities are cracking down on coyotes operating along the border.
• Noun (Firefighter):
  • The elite team of coyotes was airlifted into the heart of the wildfire.
  • After two weeks on the fire line, the tired coyote finally returned to base camp.

Advanced Usage

• "To coyote" (verb, informal/rare): To act as a smuggler of people.
  • He was arrested for coyoting immigrants across the river.
• Ecological role: In discussions of ecology, "coyote" often appears in the context of predator-prey relationships and urban adaptation.
  • The presence of coyotes helps control rodent populations.

Variants and Related Words

• Coyote (plural: coyotes or coyote): The standard noun form.
• Coywolf (n): A hybrid between a coyote and a wolf.
• Coyote brush (n): A type of shrub native to western North America, named for its habitat.

Synonyms

• Animal: Prairie wolf, brush wolf.
• Smuggler: People smuggler, pollero (Spanish slang), guide (euphemistic).
• Firefighter: Hotshot, wildland firefighter.

Related Phrases

• "Wily as a coyote": An idiom describing someone as cunning, clever, or tricky.
  • The negotiator was wily as a coyote, always finding a loophole.
• "Coyote ugly" (slang, idiomatic): A humorous and derogatory term used to describe a person considered so unattractive that one might prefer to chew off their own arm to escape waking up next to them, alluding to a coyote caught in a trap. (Note: This is a colloquial, figurative idiom separate from the primary definitions).
  • He joked that the bar was full of coyote ugly patrons.

Noun

1. a forest fire fighter who is sent to battle remote and severe forest fires (often for days at a time)
2. someone who smuggles illegal immigrants into the United States (usually across the Mexican border)
3. small wolf native to western North America