gray wolf

American  

noun

1. a wolf, Canis lupus, having a usually grizzled, blackish, or whitish coat: formerly common in Eurasia and North America, some subspecies are now reduced in numbers or near extinction.

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Etymology

Origin of gray wolf

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Compare meaning

How does gray-wolf compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• timber wolf vs. gray wolf

Example Sentences

Around 6 a.m., the 3-year-old female sporting a black coat arrived in the mountains north of Santa Clarita, according to Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026

To investigate these questions, Bailey is analyzing gray wolf teeth from museum collections and recently deceased animals using stable-isotope techniques.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026

The discovery of a dire wolf mummy could help settle the uncertainty—Ice Age gray wolf pups have been found before, so it’s a possibility—but such a fossil has not been uncovered yet.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2025

Roell said the DNR received genetic test results from two laboratories late last week confirming that it was a gray wolf and the agency seized the carcass from the taxidermist earlier this week.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2024

It lodged in the flank of a gray wolf scarcely twenty feet away.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo