wolf

1 of 2

noun

ˈwu̇lf How to pronounce wolf (audio)
 nonstandard  ˈwu̇f
plural wolves ˈwu̇lvz How to pronounce wolf (audio)
 nonstandard  ˈwu̇vz
often attributive
1
plural also wolf
a
: any of several large predatory canids (genus Canis) that are active mostly at night, live and hunt in packs, and resemble the related dogs
especially : gray wolf

Note: Wolves have long been viewed as threats to livestock and people resulting in significant worldwide declines in their numbers and range size due to persistent eradication efforts (as by hunting, trapping, and poisoning).

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
wolflike adjective

wolf

2 of 2

verb

wolfed; wolfing; wolfs

transitive verb

: to eat greedily : devour
Phrases
wolf in sheep's clothing
: one who cloaks a hostile intention with a friendly manner

Examples of wolf in a Sentence

Noun no sooner had the lottery winner's name been made public than the wolves with their investment schemes showed up on her doorstep Verb don't wolf your food or you'll be sick
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The numbers of elks killed by people and wolves have been updated. Byvirginia Morell, science.org, 23 Oct. 2024 Shaw said that every few years, her cameras catch a wolf or two — and sometimes even a pack. CBS News, 12 Oct. 2024
Verb
Every 30 days, expect an array of songs, diverse and delicious, served hot off the flat-top and waiting to be wolfed down. Amanda Peukert, SPIN, 1 Nov. 2024 All of that work, however, may have only been a prologue for her tour-de-force performance wolfing down a mile-high burger. Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wolf 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wulf; akin to Old High German wolf wolf, Latin lupus, Greek lykos

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wolf was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wolf

Cite this Entry

“Wolf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wolf. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wolf

1 of 2 noun
plural wolves ˈwu̇lvz How to pronounce wolf (audio)
1
plural also wolf : any of several large bushy-tailed mammals with ears standing straight up that resemble the related dogs, that prey on other animals, and that often live and hunt in packs
especially : gray wolf compare coyote, jackal
2
: a person who resembles a wolf in fierceness
wolfish
ˈwu̇l-fish
adjective
wolflike adjective

wolf

2 of 2 verb
: to eat greedily
wolfed down the pizza

Biographical Definition

Wolf 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Friedrich August 1759–1824 German philologist

Wolf

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Hugo Philipp Jakob 1860–1903 Austrian composer

More from Merriam-Webster on wolf

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