- Main Entry:
- 1wolf
- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈwu̇lf\
- Function:
- noun
- Inflected Form(s):
- 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
1plural 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 wolf2 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 fly3[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
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wolf·like \ˈwu̇lf-ˌlīk\ adjective —
wolf in sheep's clothing : one who cloaks a hostile intention with a friendly manner
