/kuy oh"tee, kuy"oht/ , n. , pl. coyotes , ( esp. collectively ) coyote .
1. Also called prairie wolf . a buffy-gray, wolflike canid, Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.
2. Slang. a contemptible person, esp. an avaricious or dishonest one.
3. Amer. Ind. Legend. the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.
4. Slang. a person who smuggles Mexican nationals across the border into the U.S. for a fee.
[ 1825-35; earlier cuiota, cayota coyote coyotl ]