/sam'euh yed", seuh moy"id/ , n.
1. a member of a Uralic people dwelling in W Siberia and the far NE parts of European Russia.
2. Also, Samoyedic . a subfamily of Uralic languages spoken by the Samoyed people.
3. ( sometimes l.c. ) one of a Russian breed of medium-sized dogs that have long, dense, white or cream hair and are used by the Samoyed people for herding reindeer and pulling sleds.
[ 1580-90; samoyéd ]