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

See Examples For:

gray wolf

Whitney, trekking over mountainous terrain of at least 13,000-foot elevation to get there, said Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 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

Zaccardi stopped the car, looked to her left and saw it: A large, majestic gray wolf, staring at her from the top of a nearby hill.

From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2024

Like a lean, gray wolf, he moved silently and easily.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander