wolf

¹

[woolf]

noun

plural

wolves 

1. any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range.

2. the fur of any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, especially C. lupus.

3. any of various animals of different families that are similar to C. lupus, such as the thylacine.

4. Astronomy.,  Wolf, the constellation Lupus.

5. the larva of any of various small insects infesting granaries.

6. a cruelly rapacious person.

7. Informal.,  a man who makes amorous advances to many women.

8. Music.

   1. the harsh discord heard in certain chords of keyboard instruments, especially the organ, when tuned on some system of unequal temperament.

   2. a chord or interval in which harsh discord appears when tuned on some system of unequal temperament.

   3. (in bowed instruments) a discordant or false vibration in a string due to a defect in structure or adjustment of the instrument.

verb (used with object)

1. to devour voraciously (often followed bydown ).

   He wolfed his food.

verb (used without object)

1. to hunt for wolves.

Wolf

²

[vawlf]

noun

1. Baron Christian von. Christian von Wolff.

2. Friedrich August 1759–1824, German classical scholar.

3. Hugo 1860–1903, Austrian composer.

4. a male given name.

wolf

¹

/ wʊlf /

noun

1. a predatory canine mammal, Canis lupus, which hunts in packs and was formerly widespread in North America and Eurasia but is now less common See also timber wolf

2. any of several similar and related canines, such as the red wolf and the coyote ( prairie wolf )

3. the fur of any such animal

4. another name for the thylacine

5. a voracious, grabbing, or fiercely cruel person or thing

6. informal,  a man who habitually tries to seduce women

7. informal,  the destructive larva of any of various moths and beetles

8. Also called: wolf note. music

   1. an unpleasant sound produced in some notes played on the violin, cello, etc, owing to resonant vibrations of the belly

   2. an out-of-tune effect produced on keyboard instruments accommodated esp to the system of mean-tone temperament See temperament

9. to give a false alarm

10. to ward off starvation or privation

11. a person or animal who prefers to be alone

12. to abandon or deliver to destruction

13. a malicious person in a harmless or benevolent disguise

verb

1. to gulp (down)

2. (intr) to hunt wolves

Wolf

²

/ vɔlf /

noun

1. Friedrich August (ˈfriːdrɪç ˈauɡʊst). 1759–1824, German classical scholar, who suggested that the Homeric poems, esp the Iliad, are products of an oral tradition

2. Hugo (ˈhuːɡo). 1860–1903, Austrian composer, esp of songs, including the Italienisches Liederbuch and the Spanisches Liederbuch

3. Howlin'. See Howlin' Wolf

Other Word Forms

• wolflike adjective
• wolfish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wolf¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wulf; cognate with German Wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, all from Germanic wulfaz; akin to Polish wilk, Czech vlk, Lithuanian vil̃kas, Sanskrit vṛka-, and Latin lupus, Greek lýkos

Word History and Origins

Origin of wolf¹

Old English wulf; related to Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Latin lupus and vulpēs fox

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. wolf in sheep's clothing, a person who conceals evil intentions or character beneath an innocent exterior.

2. keep the wolf from the door, to avert poverty or starvation; provide sufficiently for.

   Their small inheritance kept the wolf from the door.

3. throw (someone or something) to the wolves / dogs, to place or leave in a bad situation with no assistance, especially in order to protect oneself.

   The coach threw his rookie players to the wolves following their embarrassing loss.

4. cry wolf, to give a false alarm.

   Is she really sick or is she just crying wolf ?

More idioms and phrases containing wolf

• cry wolf
• keep the wolf from the door
• lone wolf

Example Sentences

I don’t know why, but I was suddenly ravenous and wolfed down a dozen saltines and two chocolate chip cookies just to chase the taste of my humiliation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Woods was seen as a lone wolf in his pomp.

Read more on BBC

As you may recall from school, hunter-gatherers followed the food; agriculture turned nomads into settlers, who turned wolves into dogs and sheep into wool.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Daniel Varon, a lawyer who represented the women alongside Jenn Liakos, repeatedly compared Poe to a “wolf” who roamed campus for years, pinpointing young girls for his annual Europe trip whom he could then assault.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

And, oh yeah, standing even though his coach threw him to the wolves by calling a quarterback sneak from the goal line.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• devour 
• gobble 
• gulp