Word of the day · 27 April 2026
ursine
/ˈɜːsaɪn/
adjective
Of or like a bear in shape, manner or nature.
In a sentence
- The dancer’s ursine shuffle got a laugh from the crowd.
- Rangers tracked ursine prints along the creek.
- An ursine build filled the doorway.
In an image
Origin
From Latin ursinus (of a bear), from ursus (bear).
History
Naturalists and writers keep ursine for posture, fur and temperament tied to bears. Finance stole bearish for falling markets, which leaves ursine freer for the animal sense. Crossword fans and biology students both look it up. It is a tidy Latinate label rather than slang.
Nearby words
bearlike · animal · brutish
A precise adjective when bearish is not only about markets.