canine letter en · NOUN
Etymology
So called because it sometimes represents a sound like a dog's growl.
Meanings
-
(archaic) The letter r.
All the foregoing etymologies, be it observed, are the conjectures of English scholars; for the English is the only language in which the name of the individual, Fairy, has the canine letter to afford any foundation for them.
1833, Thomas Keightley, Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 10:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| the canine letter | canonical | lexicographic |