Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hircine

/ˈhɝsaɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: hircine
IPA: /ˈhɝsaɪn/

12

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of goats.

adj

Possessed of an odour reminiscent of goats.

adj

Libidinous; lustful.

noun

A fossil amorphous resin which, when burnt, gives off a pungent, hircinous aroma.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"They are monſtrouſly fat, and have a moſt hircine ſmell."
"1838, Hypericaceæ, entry in The Penny Cyclopaedia, Volume 12, page 411, Many are objects of ornament, but they are little cultivated because they have frequently a disagreeable hircine odour."
"People always smiled a little when they looked at Skøieren, and it was surely true that this dog had a most whimsical appearance, practically lost as he was in the depths of his hircine coat of fur."
"Linnæus formed seven classes of odours of medicines; namely, the aromatic, fragrant, ambrosiac, alliaceous, hircine, fetid, and nauseous."

Etymology

First attested in its present form in 1650–1660: From Middle English hircyne, from Latin hircīnus (“of a goat”, “goat-scented”); equivalent to hircus (“a male goat”) + -īnus (“-ine”). Cognate with French hircin. By surface analysis, hirc- (“buck, male goat”) + -ine. Compare caprine, haedine.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: hircyne, hircīnus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhɝsaɪn/
British English: /ˈhɜːsaɪn/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

more hircine (comparative) most hircine (superlative) hirquine (alternative, rare)

Derived Forms

hircinous

Synonyms

hircic hircose caprine goaten goatish goaty hircinous lascivious libidinous lustful lusty hircite

Questions

How do you pronounce hircine?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɝsaɪn/.
What does hircine mean?: Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of goats.
Where does hircine come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce hircine

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hircine”.
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