n. & v.
n. (pl. wolves) 1 a wild flesh-eating tawny-grey mammal related to the dog, esp. Canis lupus, preying on sheep etc. and hunting in packs. 2 sl. a man given to seducing women. 3 a rapacious or greedy person. 4 Mus. a a jarring sound from some notes in a bowed instrument. b an out-of-tune effect when playing certain chords on old organs (before the present 'equal temperament' was in use).
v.tr. (often foll. by down) devour (food) greedily. cry wolf raise repeated false alarms (so that a genuine one is disregarded). have (or hold) a wolf by the ears be in a precarious position. keep the wolf from the door avert hunger or starvation. lone wolf a person who prefers to act alone. throw to the wolves sacrifice without compunction. wolf-cub 1 a young wolf. 2 Brit. the former name for a Cub Scout. wolf-fish any large voracious blenny of the genus Anarrhichas. wolf in sheep's clothing a hostile person who pretends friendship. wolf-pack an attacking group of submarines or aircraft. wolf's-milk spurge. wolf-spider any ground-dwelling spider of the family Lycosidae, hunting instead of trapping its prey. wolf-whistle n. a sexually admiring whistle by a man to a woman.
v.intr. make a wolf-whistle. wolfish adj. wolfishly adv. wolflike adj. & adv.
[ OE wulf f. Gmc ]