red wolf

noun

1. a small, reddish-gray American wolf, Canis rufus, similar to the coyote: once abundant in the southeastern U.S., it is now near extinction in the wild.

Word History and Origins

Origin of red wolf¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Consider the effort in North Carolina to prevent coyotes from breeding with endangered red wolves, which bears uncomfortable parallels to Western preoccupations with racial purity that only recently went out of fashion.

From Vox

Naturalists want a self-sustaining red wolf population in the wild.

From Washington Post

Reversing rapidly declining red wolf numbers is complicated.

From Washington Post

A beautiful red wolf crossed a field in the distance, and I snapped a photo before it disappeared into tall grass.

From Washington Post

Soon afterwards they came upon the squinting red wolf, straddling right across the track.

From Project Gutenberg

She dared not mount a tree, for the red wolf would outwit her.

From Project Gutenberg

At a sign from Red Wolf, the Apaches had kindled several fires, and formed a temporary camp.

From Project Gutenberg

One day, at the head of his young men, Red Wolf entered an altopelt (village) of the Comanches.

From Project Gutenberg

Red Wolf leaned over to a subaltern chief, and whispered a few words in his ear; the man rose, and left the clearing.

From Project Gutenberg