werewolf
Americannoun
plural
werewolvesnoun
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
Werewolf films tap into the audience’s fear of losing control; here, we dread that Blake is inheriting his dad’s temper, although it’s unclear how much the character is aware of the pending irony.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 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
“Traitors” ostensibly places them on a level playing field with a premise similar to the rules of Mafia, Werewolf or Among Us, a popular virtual escape during pandemic lockdowns.
From Salon • Feb. 24, 2024
Two large circular decals featuring the grotesquely salivating Werewolf emblem that symbolized the historical ferocity of the squadron adhered to the sides of the car.
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.
