coyote
n. countablen. a wild animal from North America that looks like a small wolf. You might also hear this word used for a person who helps people cross a border illegally for money.
n. a predatory canine native to North America, smaller than a wolf and known for its distinctive howl. In a modern colloquial sense, refers to a person who smuggles immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border for a fee.
We heard a coyote howling in the desert last night.
The rancher installed a higher fence to protect his sheep from the local coyote population.
While often viewed as a nuisance by farmers, the coyote plays a vital role in the ecosystem by controlling the population of smaller rodents and rabbits.
Borrowed from Spanish coyote, from a Nahuan language, from Proto-Nahuan *koyoo-tl. Compare Chinook ki-o-tī.
The animal sense is neutral; the human smuggling sense is informal and often carries a negative or criminal connotation.