ursine

English

WOTD – 22 December 2007

Etymology

Mid 16th century, from Latin ursinus, adjectival form of ursus (“bear”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɜː.saɪn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɝːsaɪn/, /ˈɝːsɪn/

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Adjective

ursine (comparative more ursine, superlative most ursine)

1. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of bears.
   • 1832, Godfrey Mundy, Pen and Pencil Sketches, Being the Journal of a Tour in India, London: John Murray, Vol. 1, Chapter VI, p. 320, [1]

     The British chief having undergone the ursine embrace of the Seikh monarch, the whole cavalcade proceeded towards the town.

   • 1924, Herman Melville, Billy Budd, London: Constable & Co., Chapter 8, [2]

     […] the old man's eccentricities, sometimes bordering on the ursine, repelled the juniors […]

   • 2004, in Donald G. Lindburg and Karen Baragona (eds.), Giant Pandas: Biology and Conservation, Berkeley: University of California Press, Part Two, Introduction, p. 77, [3]

     […] we noted that a preponderance of the evidence supports an ursine origin for the giant panda.

2. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the bear subfamily Ursinae.
   • 2004, in Donald G. Lindburg and Karen Baragona (eds.), Giant Pandas: Biology and Conservation, Berkeley: University of California Press, Part Two, Introduction, p. 37, [4]
3. (entomology, of caterpillars) Covered in stiff bristles.

Synonyms

• bearly

Derived terms

Derived terms

• ursine baboon
• ursine dasyure

• ursine howler
• ursine seal

Translations

of or relating to bears

• Esperanto: ursa (eo)
• Ido: ursala
• Polish: niedźwiedzi (pl) m

• Russian: медве́жий (ru) (medvéžij)
• Spanish: osuno
• Volapük: berik (vo)

Noun

ursine (plural ursines)

1. (zoology) A bear.

Anagrams

• insure, inures, nursie, rusine, urines

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Interlingue

Noun

ursine (plural ursines)

1. sea urchin
2. Any member of Ursinae, a subfamily of Ursidae.

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Latin

Adjective

ursīne

1. vocative masculine singular of ursīnus