Ovines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Relating to or characteristic of sheep, especially in terms of their behavior, breeding, or biology
2. Denoting the traits or qualities that define sheep as a group
3. Pertaining to the family of mammals that includes domestic and wild sheep and their young

Etymology: "Ovines" is simply the plural of "ovine," which in its noun sense means a sheep, and the plural form is the one you need when talking about a flock of them. Behind it sits Latin "ovis," meaning sheep, which goes back to an ancient root possibly linked to a word for clothing, a nod to the wool these animals provided. The adjective "ovine" was formed in Late Latin as "ovinus," from "ovis" plus the suffix "-inus," meaning "of or relating to." English then added its own suffix "-ine," which carries the same sense, so the word effectively has two "of or relating to" endings stacked on one stem. The noun use came afterwards, developed from the adjective, so a sheep is literally called "something belonging to sheep."

Synonyms: sheep, lambs