wolf

¹

[ woolf ]

noun

, plural wolves [w, oo, lvz].

1. any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range.
2. the fur of any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, especially C. lupus.
3. any of various animals of different families that are similar to C. lupus, such as the thylacine.
4. Wolf, Astronomy. the constellation Lupus.
5. the larva of any of various small insects infesting granaries.
6. a cruelly rapacious person.
7. Informal. a man who makes amorous advances to many women.
8. Music.
   1. the harsh discord heard in certain chords of keyboard instruments, especially the organ, when tuned on some system of unequal temperament.
   2. a chord or interval in which harsh discord appears when tuned on some system of unequal temperament.
   3. (in bowed instruments) a discordant or false vibration in a string due to a defect in structure or adjustment of the instrument.

verb (used with object)

1. to devour voraciously (often followed by down ):

   He wolfed his food.

verb (used without object)

1. to hunt for wolves.

Wolf

²

[ vawlf ]

noun

1. Baron Christian von. Christian von Wolff.
2. Frie·drich Au·gust [free, -d, r, i, kh, , ou, -g, oo, st], 1759–1824, German classical scholar.
3. Hu·go [hoo, -goh], 1860–1903, Austrian composer.
4. a male given name.

wolf

¹

/ wʊlf /

noun

1. a predatory canine mammal, Canis lupus, which hunts in packs and was formerly widespread in North America and Eurasia but is now less common See also timber wolf lupine
2. any of several similar and related canines, such as the red wolf and the coyote ( prairie wolf )
3. the fur of any such animal
4. Tasmanian wolf
   another name for the thylacine
5. a voracious, grabbing, or fiercely cruel person or thing
6. informal.
   a man who habitually tries to seduce women
7. informal.
   the destructive larva of any of various moths and beetles
8. Also calledwolf note music
   1. an unpleasant sound produced in some notes played on the violin, cello, etc, owing to resonant vibrations of the belly
   2. an out-of-tune effect produced on keyboard instruments accommodated esp to the system of mean-tone temperament See temperament
9. cry wolf
   to give a false alarm
10. keep the wolf from the door
    to ward off starvation or privation
11. lone wolf
    a person or animal who prefers to be alone
12. throw to the wolves
    to abandon or deliver to destruction
13. wolf in sheep's clothing
    a malicious person in a harmless or benevolent disguise

verb

1. troften foll bydown to gulp (down)
2. intr to hunt wolves

Wolf

²

/ vɔlf /

noun

1. WolfFriedrich August17591824MGermanHISTORY: classical scholar Friedrich August (ˈfriːdrɪç ˈauɡʊst). 1759–1824, German classical scholar, who suggested that the Homeric poems, esp the Iliad, are products of an oral tradition
2. WolfHugo18601903MAustrianMUSIC: composer Hugo (ˈhuːɡo). 1860–1903, Austrian composer, esp of songs, including the Italienisches Liederbuch and the Spanisches Liederbuch
3. wʊlf Howlin'. See Howlin' Wolf

Derived Forms

• ˈwolfˌlike, adjective
• ˈwolfish, adjective

Other Words From

• wolflike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wolf¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wulf; cognate with German Wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, all from Germanic wulfaz; akin to Polish wilk, Czech vlk, Lithuanian vil̃kas, Sanskrit vṛka-, and Latin lupus, Greek lýkos

Word History and Origins

Origin of wolf¹

Old English wulf; related to Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Latin lupus and vulpēs fox

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cry wolf, to give a false alarm:

   Is she really sick or is she just crying wolf ?

2. keep the wolf from the door, to avert poverty or starvation; provide sufficiently for:

   Their small inheritance kept the wolf from the door.

3. throw (someone or something) to the wolves / dogs, Informal. to place or leave in a bad situation with no assistance, especially in order to protect oneself:

   The coach threw his rookie players to the wolves following their embarrassing loss.

4. wolf in sheep's clothing, a person who conceals evil intentions or character beneath an innocent exterior.

More idioms and phrases containing wolf

In addition to the idiom beginning with wolf , also see cry wolf ; keep the wolf from the door ; lone wolf .

Example Sentences

This is a fear response, the classic "throwing them to the wolves" strategy of feeding the victim to the mob, in hopes they don't eat you next.

From Salon

So, in May and June 2023, a team of biologists followed wolves from three different packs as they foraged in flower patches.

From Science Magazine

In handing down a harsher sentence, Anderson referred to Moore as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

From Los Angeles Times

Billy Coull, 36, was found guilty of abusive behaviour after repeatedly sending the messages referring to himself as a “wolf” and the woman as his “prey”.

From BBC

Verbal abuse, wolf whistles, beeps from cars and inappropriate comments.

From BBC

Related Words

• devour
• gobble
• gulp