lupine

/ˈluː.paɪn/

//ˈluː.paɪn// adj

"lupine" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lupine” is an uncommon English word, ranked #75,168 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#75,168
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Wolfish (all senses); wolflike.

Key facts for lupine
PropertyValue
Headwordlupine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈluː.paɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#75,168
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lupine” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). lupine lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for lupine is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈluː.paɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #75,168 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for lupine in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin lupīnus, from lupus (“wolf”) + -īnus (“pertaining to”). Doublet of lupin and piecewise doublet of wolven, Latin lupus being a cognate of wolf and -ine being a doublet of -en. The correct English form is lupine, spelled L-U-P-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wolfish (all senses); wolflike.
  2. 2
    Ravenous.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin lupīnus, from lupus (“wolf”) + -īnus (“pertaining to”). Doublet of lupin and piecewise doublet of wolven, Latin lupus being a cognate of wolf and -ine being a doublet of -en.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lupine"?
"lupine" is spelled L-U-P-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈluː.paɪn/.
What does "lupine" mean?
As an adjective, "lupine" means: Wolfish (all senses); wolflike.
How do you pronounce "lupine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lupine" is /ˈluː.paɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "lupine"?
Borrowed from Latin lupīnus, from lupus (“wolf”) + -īnus (“pertaining to”). Doublet of lupin and piecewise doublet of wolven, Latin lupus being a cognate of wolf and -ine being a doublet of -en. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “lupine”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-U-P-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈluː.paɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list