wolverine
Americannoun
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wolverines
plural
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Also called carcajou. a stocky, carnivorous North American mammal, Gulo luscus, of the weasel family, having blackish, shaggy hair with white markings.
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(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Michigan (the Wolverine State) (used as a nickname).
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wolverine
1565–75; alteration of earlier wolvering (with -ine 2 for -ing 3 ), obscure derivative of wolf
Explanation
A wolverine is a strong little animal, the largest member of the weasel family. You're most likely to see a wolverine if you go hiking in Alaska. Although they’re cute, don’t try to pet one. They are not cuddly. Wolverines are related to otters and badgers, but they're known as the fiercest weasels, able to fight and kill animals much larger than they are. Wolverines are dense and covered with shaggy fur, and because they resemble little bears — and mark their territories with a strong scent — they're sometimes called skunk bears. They weigh about 50 pounds. Wolverine was originally wolvering, which may come from the plural form of wolf, wolves, or possibly from wolver, "one who behaves like a wolf."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Researchers noted that many apparent wolverine sightings were rejected because they did not satisfy strict documentation requirements.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
Without those exemptions, fuels-reduction projects that protect wolverine habitat from catastrophic fire would grind to a halt, directly threatening the species.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
"I saw the wolverine picture on the surface and I thought it was going to be in the cave and eat us."
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024
“So basically I’m translocating and releasing a wolverine that otherwise would have been a hat,” Garcelon said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2024
Many miles along her way she came upon wolverine tracks and followed them up to a den.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
The study found that wolverines are spreading into southern parts of Sweden while declining in regions that historically supported the largest populations.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
And of course, some species will never do well in fragments — for instance, wide-ranging creatures like grizzly bears, mountain lions and wolverines, who each require large territories without competition from others of their kind.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2024
The agencies also responded to concerns about grizzlies’ impacts on livestock, and on threatened species like wolverines and salmon, as well as hikers.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
Bigger herbivores -- plant-eating animals like deer or moose -- tend to become more active when humans are around, while meat-eaters like wolves or wolverines tend to be less active, preferring to avoid risky encounters.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2024
I also loved stories of wolves, bears, and wolverines in North America and Canada, jaguars anacondas and sloths in South America, orangutans, Indian elephants, and tapirs in Asia, and so on.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
