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

I’m supposed to point out that the Wolverine football program went kablooey.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Just one Wolverine has even been in Ann Arbor for a full calendar year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

While Wolverine, the next superhero smash from Spider-Man studio Insomniac - another in-house Sony developer - is set to arrive in the autumn.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

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

I bought a comic book of Wolverine, the second greatest hero of all time.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri