The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Prairie \Prai"rie\, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie,
   LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.]
   1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of
      trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually
      characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound
      throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies
      and the Rocky mountains.
      [1913 Webster]

            From the forests and the prairies,
            From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow.
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   2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called
      natural meadow.
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   Prairie chicken (Zool.), any American grouse of the genus
      Tympanuchus, especially Tympanuchus Americanus
      (formerly Tympanuchus cupido), which inhabits the
      prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the
      sharp-tailed grouse.

   Prairie clover (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus
      Petalostemon, having small rosy or white flowers in
      dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in
      the prairies of the United States.

   Prairie dock (Bot.), a coarse composite plant (Silphium
      terebinthaceum) with large rough leaves and yellow
      flowers, found in the Western prairies.

   Prairie dog (Zool.), a small American rodent (Cynomys
      Ludovicianus) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the
      plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in
      the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like
      that of a dog. Called also prairie marmot.

   Prairie grouse. Same as Prairie chicken, above.

   Prairie hare (Zool.), a large long-eared Western hare
      (Lepus campestris). See Jack rabbit, under 2d Jack.


   Prairie hawk, Prairie falcon (Zool.), a falcon of Western
      North America (Falco Mexicanus). The upper parts are
      brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under
      parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown.

   Prairie hen. (Zool.) Same as Prairie chicken, above.

   Prairie itch (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with
      intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and
      Western United States; -- also called swamp itch,
      winter itch.

   Prairie marmot. (Zool.) Same as Prairie dog, above.

   Prairie mole (Zool.), a large American mole (Scalops
      argentatus), native of the Western prairies.

   Prairie pigeon, Prairie plover, or Prairie snipe
      (Zool.), the upland plover. See Plover, n., 2.

   Prairie rattlesnake (Zool.), the massasauga.

   Prairie snake (Zool.), a large harmless American snake
      (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged
      with brown above.

   Prairie squirrel (Zool.), any American ground squirrel of
      the genus Spermophilus, inhabiting prairies; -- called
      also gopher.

   Prairie turnip (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous
      root of a leguminous plant (Psoralea esculenta) of the
      Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also
      pomme blanche, and pomme de prairie.

   Prairie warbler (Zool.), a bright-colored American warbler
      (Dendroica discolor). The back is olive yellow, with a
      group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and
      the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of
      the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer
      tail feathers partly white.

   Prairie wolf. (Zool.) See Coyote.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Wolf \Wolf\, n.; pl. Wolves. [OE. wolf, wulf, AS. wulf; akin
   to OS. wulf, D. & G. wolf, Icel. [=u]lfr, Sw. ulf, Dan. ulv,
   Goth. wulfs, Lith. vilkas, Russ. volk', L. lupus, Gr. ly`kos,
   Skr. v[.r]ka; also to Gr. "e`lkein to draw, drag, tear in
   pieces. [root]286. Cf. Lupine, a., Lyceum.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of wild and savage
      carnivores belonging to the genus Canis and closely
      allied to the common dog. The best-known and most
      destructive species are the European wolf (Canis lupus),
      the American gray, or timber, wolf (Canis occidentalis),
      and the prairie wolf, or coyote. Wolves often hunt in
      packs, and may thus attack large animals and even man.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Zool.) One of the destructive, and usually hairy, larvae
      of several species of beetles and grain moths; as, the bee
      wolf.
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   3. Fig.: Any very ravenous, rapacious, or destructive person
      or thing; especially, want; starvation; as, they toiled
      hard to keep the wolf from the door.
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   4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries.
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   5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. Lupus. [Obs.]
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            If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf
            into thy side.                        --Jer. Taylor.
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   6. (Mus.)
      (a) The harsh, howling sound of some of the chords on an
          organ or piano tuned by unequal temperament.
      (b) In bowed instruments, a harshness due to defective
          vibration in certain notes of the scale.
          [1913 Webster]

   7. (Textile Manuf.) A willying machine. --Knight.
      [1913 Webster]

   Black wolf. (Zool.)
      (a) A black variety of the European wolf which is common
          in the Pyrenees.
      (b) A black variety of the American gray wolf.

   Golden wolf (Zool.), the Thibetan wolf (Canis laniger);
      -- called also chanco.

   Indian wolf (Zool.), an Asiatic wolf (Canis pallipes)
      which somewhat resembles a jackal. Called also landgak.


   Prairie wolf (Zool.), the coyote.

   Sea wolf. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary.

   Strand wolf (Zool.) the striped hyena.

   Tasmanian wolf (Zool.), the zebra wolf.

   Tiger wolf (Zool.), the spotted hyena.

   To keep the wolf from the door, to keep away poverty; to
      prevent starvation. See Wolf, 3, above. --Tennyson.

   Wolf dog. (Zool.)
      (a) The mastiff, or shepherd dog, of the Pyrenees,
          supposed by some authors to be one of the ancestors of
          the St. Bernard dog.
      (b) The Irish greyhound, supposed to have been used
          formerly by the Danes for chasing wolves.
      (c) A dog bred between a dog and a wolf, as the Eskimo
          dog.

   Wolf eel (Zool.), a wolf fish.

   Wolf fish (Zool.), any one of several species of large,
      voracious marine fishes of the genus Anarrhichas,
      especially the common species (Anarrhichas lupus) of
      Europe and North America. These fishes have large teeth
      and powerful jaws. Called also catfish, sea cat, sea
      wolf, stone biter, and swinefish.

   Wolf net, a kind of net used in fishing, which takes great
      numbers of fish.

   Wolf's peach (Bot.), the tomato, or love apple
      (Lycopersicum esculentum).

   Wolf spider (Zool.), any one of numerous species of running
      ground spiders belonging to the genus Lycosa, or family
      Lycosidae. These spiders run about rapidly in search of
      their prey. Most of them are plain brown or blackish in
      color. See Illust. in App.

   Zebra wolf (Zool.), a savage carnivorous marsupial
      (Thylacinus cynocephalus) native of Tasmania; -- called
      also Tasmanian wolf.
      [1913 Webster]

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):

prairie wolf
    n 1: small wolf native to western North America [syn: coyote,
         prairie wolf, brush wolf, Canis latrans]