wolverine

[woo l-vuh-reen, woo l-vuh-reen]

noun

Also called carcajou. a stocky, carnivorous North American mammal, Gulo luscus, of the weasel family, having blackish, shaggy hair with white markings.

(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Michigan (the Wolverine State) (used as a nickname).

Origin of wolverine

1565–75; alteration of earlier wolvering (with -ine² for -ing³), obscure derivative of wolf

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wolverine

Contemporary Examples of wolverine

The co-owner of Metropolis Collectables, Vincent has Wolverine mutton chops, a Tony Stark goatee, and Lex Luthor swagger.
The Holy Grail of Comic Books Hid in Plain Site at New York Comic Con
Sujay Kumar
October 14, 2014
Hugh Jackman has been Wolverine in the movies and the flashy Boy From Oz on stage.
Fall Broadway Preview: 'This Is Our Youth,' Bradley Cooper as ‘The Elephant Man,' and More
Janice Kaplan
September 11, 2014
The most credible scientific data on wolverine behavior documents an absolute dependence on “persistent spring snow habitat.”
Who Will Save the Wolverine? Not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Doug Peacock
July 20, 2014
“X-men Origins: Wolverine” featured a pharmaceutical plot twist so inane it was almost awesome.
Scandal’s Finale Featured One of the Most Preposterous TV Deaths Ever
Russell Saunders
April 19, 2014
The line I keep saying is that nobody goes around saying, “Hey, Iron Man has a better sense of humor than Wolverine.”
The Makers of ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Heathers’ Discuss ‘Vampire Academy’ and Coming-of-Age Movies
Daniel Waters, Mark Waters
February 6, 2014

Historical Examples of wolverine

He had often shot a lynx, and once or twice he had shot a wolverine.
The Book of Nature Myths
Florence Holbrook
Then the wolverine came upslope at a clumsy gallop to Shann.
Storm Over Warlock
Andre Norton
Then he raised his hand, and the wolverine shuffled off, heading north.
Storm Over Warlock
Andre Norton
For the wolverine male sprang for the horn-shelled shoulders.
Storm Over Warlock
Andre Norton
This is Glutton the Wolverine, the largest and ugliest member of the family.
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Thornton W. Burgess

British Dictionary definitions for wolverine

wolverine

noun

a large musteline mammal, Gulo gulo, of northern forests of Eurasia and North America having dark very thick water-resistant furAlso called: glutton

Word Origin for wolverine

C16 wolvering, from wolf + -ing ³ (later altered to -ine)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for wolverine

carnivorous mammal, 1610s, alteration of wolvering (1570s), of uncertain origin, possibly from wolv-, inflectional stem of wolf; or perhaps from wolver "one who behaves like a wolf" (1590s).