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.

---

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

The same year Bonham took the reins of the agency, the first gray wolf the state had hosted in nearly a century wandered in from Oregon.

From Los Angeles Times

Dogs trace their origins to an extinct population of gray wolves that evolved alongside humans during the late Pleistocene about 20,000 years ago.

From Science Daily

In response to a surge in cattle kills across the Sierra Valley, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife euthanized four gray wolves from the Beyem Seyo pack.

From Los Angeles Times

By controlling deer and elk populations, gray wolves allow overgrazed vegetation and trees to regrow, creating ripple effects that boost biodiversity and improve the overall health of the landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the agency, was trying to track down one of them — the freshly minted Ashpan pack that consists of at least two wolves roaming eastern Shasta County.

From Los Angeles Times