wolf spider

American  

noun

1. any of numerous ground spiders of the family Lycosidae, including the southern European tarantula, Lycosa taretula, that hunt their prey instead of using a web.

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wolf spider British  

noun

1. Also called: hunting spider.  any spider of the family Lycosidae, which chase their prey to catch it

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Etymology

Origin of wolf spider

First recorded in 1600–10

Compare meaning

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

• wolf spider vs. tarantula

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wolf spider

Just in time for Halloween — the white-knuckled wolf spider is back.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2025

Biologists in UC's College of Arts and Sciences studied Schizocosa ocreata, a wolf spider found across much of the United States.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 17, 2024

Growing concerned, Mr Blake visited the ship's doctor and found that a Peruvian wolf spider had bitten him and laid eggs in his toe.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2023

Researchers ran courtship trials withmembers of the diverse, global genus Schizocosa, using a group of four quarter-size wolf spider species collected in Florida, Nebraska, and Mississippi.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 21, 2023

Then a wolf spider, startling in size and hairiness, streaked over the gravel, either chasing something smaller or being chased by something bigger, I couldn’t tell which.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly