The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Coyote \Coy"o*te\ (k?"?-t? or k?"?t), n. [Spanish Amer., fr.
   Mexican coyotl.] (Zool.)
   A carnivorous animal (Canis latrans), allied to the dog,
   found in the western part of North America; -- called also
   prairie wolf. Its voice is a snapping bark, followed by a
   prolonged, shrill howl.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

coyote
    n 1: small wolf native to western North America [syn: coyote,
         prairie wolf, brush wolf, Canis latrans]
    2: someone who smuggles illegal immigrants into the United
       States (usually across the Mexican border)
    3: a forest fire fighter who is sent to battle remote and severe
       forest fires (often for days at a time)