Hircine

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈhɜːsaɪn/
• US IPA: /ˈhɝsaɪn/

Alternative forms

• hirquine rare

Origin

First attested in its present form in 1650–1660:

“hircine” defined by Dictionary.com Unabridged, © Random House, Inc. 2009

From Middle English hircyne

“hircine” listed in

The American Heritage

®

Dictionary of the English Language

, Fourth Edition

, from Latin hircīnus ("of a goat”, “goat-scented");

“hircine, a. and n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary 2

nd

1989

“hircine” listed in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

equivalent to hircus ("a male goat")

+ -Ä«nus ("-ine").

Cognates: French language hircin

. Compare caprine, haedine.

Full definition of hircine

Adjective

1. (not comparable) Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of goats.“hircine” defined by WordNet^® 3·0

• 1781, Thomas Pennant, History of Quadrupeds, Volume 2, page 528,They are monÅ¿trouÅ¿ly fat, and have a moÅ¿t hircine Å¿mell.
• 1838, Hypericaceæ, entry in The Penny Cyclopaedia, Volume 12, page 411,Many^{of family Hypericaceae} are objects of ornament, but they are little cultivated because they have frequently a disagreeable hircine odour.
• 1992, Helge Ingstad, Land of Feast and Famine, page 291,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.
• 1820, J. J. Virsey, The Natural History of Medicines, Aliments and Poisons, taken from the Kingdoms of Nature, The London Medical and Physical Journal, Volume 44, page 247,Linnæus formed seven classes of odours of medicines; namely, the aromatic, fragrant, ambrosiac, alliaceous, hircine, fetid, and nauseous.
1. Possessed of an odour reminiscent of goats.
2. Libidinous; lustful; excessively and overweeningly desirous.

Derived terms

• hircinous

Synonyms

• (pertaining to goats) hircic, archaic, rare hircose
• (goat-scented) botany and zoölogy hircinous, archaic, rare hircose
• (excessively desirous) lascivious, libidinous, lustful, lusty

Noun

1. (mineralogy) A fossil amorphous resin which, when burnt, gives off a pungent, hircinous aroma.

Synonyms

• (hircinous resin) hircite