wolverine

American  

[wool-vuh-reen, wool-vuh-reen] / ˌwʊl vəˈrin, ˈwʊl vəˌrin /

noun

1. Also called carcajou.  a stocky, carnivorous North American mammal, Gulo luscus, of the weasel family, having blackish, shaggy hair with white markings.

2. (initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Michigan (the Wolverine State) (used as a nickname).

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wolverine British  

/ ˈwʊlvəˌriːn /

noun

1. Also called: glutton.  a large musteline mammal, Gulo gulo, of northern forests of Eurasia and North America having dark very thick water-resistant fur

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Etymology

Origin of wolverine

1565–75; alteration of earlier wolvering (with -ine ² for -ing ³ ), obscure derivative of wolf

Explanation

A wolverine is a strong little animal, the largest member of the weasel family. You're most likely to see a wolverine if you go hiking in Alaska. Although they’re cute, don’t try to pet one. They are not cuddly. Wolverines are related to otters and badgers, but they're known as the fiercest weasels, able to fight and kill animals much larger than they are. Wolverines are dense and covered with shaggy fur, and because they resemble little bears — and mark their territories with a strong scent — they're sometimes called skunk bears. They weigh about 50 pounds. Wolverine was originally wolvering, which may come from the plural form of wolf, wolves, or possibly from wolver, "one who behaves like a wolf."

Example Sentences

The possibility of him suiting up in Wolverine yellow, sorry, maize and blue makes me want to sign onto the next Artemis mission, so long as it abandons me on Pluto.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Others created battle scenes between iconic superheroes like Wolverine and Superman or between a Transformer and Godzilla.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

When the exchanges turn stocks into daily Lotto games, those bets will be profitably absorbed by sophisticated dealers, especially Citadel, Susquehanna, and Wolverine.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

The stars of its most recent promotional showcase were Saros, a follow-up to 2021's Returnal, and the long-awaited Wolverine game from Spider-Man maker Insomniac - both single-player games.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2025

I’ll never fight with friends over who gets the better bowling shoes or who gets to be Wolverine when we play video games.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera