timber wolf

American  

noun

1. the gray wolf, Canis lupus, sometimes designated as the subspecies C. lupus occidentalis: formerly common in northern North America but now greatly reduced in number and rare in the conterminous U.S.

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timber wolf British  

noun

1. Also called: grey wolf.  a variety of the wolf, Canis lupus, having a grey brindled coat and occurring in forested northern regions, esp of North America

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Etymology

Origin of timber wolf

First recorded in 1875–80

Compare meaning

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

• timber wolf vs. gray wolf

Example Sentences

One whole rack bulged with timber wolf pelts.

From New York Times • Nov. 8, 2018

The timber wolf, the bison and the eland all experienced T. R.’s dead aim, although the giant polar bear rug in the otherwise feminine drawing room came courtesy of Robert Peary, the Arctic explorer.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2015

It was an American timber wolf named Rugby, filmed in a mock Olympic Village hallway in the United States by the comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

From New York Times • Feb. 25, 2014

Very few people have high regard for the timber wolf, an animal popularly supposed to eat up unwary citizens who get lost in the snow.

From Time Magazine Archive

A flux of circumstances delivered the Laughing Man’s best friend, his timber wolf, Black Wing, into a physical and intellectual trap set by the Dufarges.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger