I. ˈwu̇lf noun
( plural wolves ˈwu̇lvz)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wulf; akin to Old High German wolf wolf, Latin lupus, Greek lykos
Date: before 12th century
1. plural also wolf
a. : any of several large predatory canids (genus Canis ) that live and hunt in packs and resemble the related dogs ; especially : gray wolf — compare coyote , jackal
b. : the fur of a wolf
2.
a.
(1) : a fierce, rapacious, or destructive person
(2) : a man forward, direct, and zealous in amatory attentions to women
b. : dire poverty : starvation
keep the wolf from the door
c. : the maggot of a warble fly
3.
[German; from the howling sound]
a.
(1) : dissonance in some chords on organs, pianos, or other instruments with fixed tones tuned by unequal temperament
(2) : an instance of such dissonance
b. : a harshness due to faulty vibration in various tones in a bowed instrument
• wolf·like ˈwu̇lf-ˌlīk adjective
•
- wolf in sheep's clothing
II. transitive verb
Date: 1862
: to eat greedily : devour