wolf spider

noun

: any of various active wandering ground spiders (family Lycosidae)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Storm and Lima bred crickets that had never seen a wolf spider before. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2010 If a pregnant female is exposed to a wolf spider, her experiences affect her unborn young. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 9 Feb. 2010 Enlarge / Rice University graduate student Faye Yap with a deceased wolf spider for use as a necrobotic gripper. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 29 July 2022 For their experiment, Preston, Yap, and other students on the team used a thin needle to inject air into a dead wolf spider’s prosoma. Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 28 July 2022 Pascoe said the timing to catch such a sight really depends upon the species of wolf spider. Bill Jones, chicagotribune.com, 19 Oct. 2021 Iberian tarantulas, which are a type of wolf spider, live in arid regions of the Iberian Peninsula. Nala Rogers, Scientific American, 27 Jan. 2014 Some other names for the wolf spider are the Ground Spider and the Hunting Spider. Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 11 Nov. 2019 But other species, such as shrubs and the wolf spider, are thriving. Christina Nunez, National Geographic, 19 June 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wolf spider.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wolf spider was in 1608

Dictionary Entries Near wolf spider

Cite this Entry

“Wolf spider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wolf%20spider. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

Kids Definition

wolf spider

noun
: any of various active wandering spiders of which most do not build a web but chase and catch their prey

More from Merriam-Webster on wolf spider

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