werewolf
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of werewolf
before 1000; Middle English werwolf, Old English werwulf, equivalent to wer man (cognate with Gothic wair, Latin vir ) + wulf wolf; cognate with Middle Dutch weerwolf, Old High German werwolf
Explanation
In European folklore, a werewolf is a man who turns into a dangerous animal at night. According to legend, the transformation of a werewolf is triggered by a full moon. Stories of werewolves have existed for thousands of years, but belief in werewolves became widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages. Today, these creatures are popular monsters that appear in books, movies, television, video games, and more. The were in werewolf comes from the Old English word wer, meaning "man."
Vocabulary lists containing werewolf
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Keivan Hosseini, an Iranian who records electronic music under the moniker Tame Werewolf, played his first public gig ever last year in a cafe before a large crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025
In 2007, they won best rock instrumental performance for the magnificently-titled The Wizard Turns on the Giant Silver Flashlight and Puts On His Werewolf Moccasins.
From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025
In 1974, he was recruited by Roy Thomas, an editor at Marvel, to draw the series Werewolf by Night.
From New York Times • May 26, 2024
Images of Frankenstein’s monster, the Werewolf and the Creature from the Black Lagoon wreaking destruction flicker in the background.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
We are members of the Werewolf Squadron 367 and we are going to make history.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
