"pointed tooth," late 14c., from Latin caninus "of the dog," genitive of canis "dog" (source of Italian cane, French chien), from PIE root *kwon- "dog" (cognates: Greek kyon, Old English hund, Old High German hunt, Old Irish cu, Welsh ci, Sanskrit svan-, Avestan spa, Russian sobaka (apparently from an Iranian source, such as Median spaka), Armenian shun, Lithuanian šuo). The noun meaning "dog" is first recorded 1869.

c.1600, of teeth, from canine, n. or Latin caninus. Meaning "pertaining to a dog or dogs" is from 1620s.