Wild Dog
/ˈwaɪld dɔːɡ/noun
A dog living independently of human domestication, especially a wild canid such as the African wild dog.
Did you know?The African wild dog is not a feral domestic dog but a distinct canid species, Lycaon pictus, whose name means “painted wolf” in Latin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*wilþijaz
“Wild, untamed, living in a natural state”
Old English
Old English
wilde
“Uncultivated, untamed, not subject to human control”
Old English
Old English
docga
“Dog; the exact origin of this form is uncertain”
Middle English
Middle English
wilde dogge
“A dog that is wild or not domesticated”
16th–17th Century
English
wild dog
“A dog living without domestication or human ownership”
Modern English
English
wild dog
“A general term for free-living dogs and, in zoology, certain wild canid species”