wolf
(redirected from wolfs)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
wolf
(wo͝olf)n. pl. wolves (wo͝olvz)
1.
a. Any of several carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, especially the gray wolf of northern regions, that typically live and hunt in packs.
b. The fur of such an animal.
c. Any of various similar or related mammals, such as the hyena.
2. The destructive larva of any of various moths, beetles, or flies.
3. One that is regarded as predatory, rapacious, and fierce.
4. Slang A man who habitually makes aggressive sexual advances to women.
5. Music
a. A harshness in some tones of a bowed stringed instrument produced by defective vibration.
b. Dissonance in perfect fifths on a keyboard instrument tuned to a system of unequal temperament.
tr.v. wolfed, wolf·ing, wolfs
Idioms: To eat greedily or voraciously: "The town's big shots were ... wolfing down the buffet" (Ralph Ellison).
wolf at the door
Creditors or a creditor.
wolf in sheep's clothing
One who feigns congeniality while actually holding malevolent intentions.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
wolf
(wʊlf)n, pl wolves (wʊlvz)
1. (Animals) a predatory canine mammal, Canis lupus, which hunts in packs and was formerly widespread in North America and Eurasia but is now less common. See also timber wolf
2. (Animals) any of several similar and related canines, such as the red wolf and the coyote (prairie wolf)
3. (Textiles) the fur of any such animal
4. (Animals) Tasmanian wolf another name for the thylacine
5. a voracious, grabbing, or fiercely cruel person or thing
6. informal a man who habitually tries to seduce women
7. (Zoology) informal the destructive larva of any of various moths and beetles
8. (Music, other) music
a. an unpleasant sound produced in some notes played on the violin, cello, etc, owing to resonant vibrations of the belly
b. an out-of-tune effect produced on keyboard instruments accommodated esp to the system of mean-tone temperament. See temperament4
9. cry wolf to give a false alarm
10. keep the wolf from the door to ward off starvation or privation
11. lone wolf a person or animal who prefers to be alone
12. throw to the wolves to abandon or deliver to destruction
13. wolf in sheep's clothing a malicious person in a harmless or benevolent disguise
vb
14. (Physiology) (often foll by: down) to gulp (down)
15. (Hunting) (intr) to hunt wolves
[Old English wulf; related to Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Latin lupus and vulpēs fox]
ˈwolfish adj
ˈwolfˌlike adj
Wolf
(German vɔlf)n
1. (Biography) Friedrich August (ˈfriːdrɪç ˈauɡʊst). 1759–1824, German classical scholar, who suggested that the Homeric poems, esp the Iliad, are products of an oral tradition
2. (Biography) Hugo (ˈhuːɡo). 1860–1903, Austrian composer, esp of songs, including the Italienisches Liederbuch and the Spanisches Liederbuch
3. (Biography) Howlin'. See Howlin' Wolf
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wolf
(wʊlf)n., pl. wolves (wo͝olvz),
v. n.
1. any of several carnivorous mammals of the genus Canus, esp. the gray wolf, Canis lupus, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
2. any of several other large canids, as the maned wolf.
3. the fur of such an animal.
4. any of various unrelated wolflike animals, as the thylacine.
5. a cruelly rapacious person.
6. a man who makes amorous advances to many women.
7. a pitch of unstable quality or loudness sometimes occurring in a bowed musical instrument.
v.t. 8. to devour voraciously (often fol. by down): to wolf one's food.
v.i. 9. to hunt for wolves.
Idioms: 1. cry wolf, to give a false alarm.
2. keep the wolf from the door, to avert poverty or starvation.
3. wolf in sheep's clothing, a person who conceals evil beneath an innocent exterior.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English wulf, c. Old Saxon wulf, Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Polish wilk, Skt vṛka; akin to Latin lupus, Greek lýkos]
wolf′like`, adj.
Wolf
(vɔlf)n.
1. Friedrich August, 1759–1824, German classical scholar.
2. Hugo, 1860–1903, Austrian composer.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
wolf
Past participle: wolfed
Gerund: wolfing
| Imperative |
|---|
| wolf |
| wolf |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | wolf - any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs Canis, genus Canis - type genus of the Canidae: domestic and wild dogs; wolves; jackals Canis lupus, gray wolf, grey wolf, timber wolf - a wolf with a brindled grey coat living in forested northern regions of North America Arctic wolf, Canis lupus tundrarum, white wolf - wolf of Arctic North America having white fur and a black-tipped tail |
| 2. |  Wolf - Austrian composer (1860-1903) | |
| 3. | Wolf - German classical scholar who claimed that the Iliad and Odyssey were composed by several authors (1759-1824) | |
| 4. |  wolf - a man who is aggressive in making amorous advances to womenphilanderer, womaniser, womanizer - a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them | |
| 5. |  wolf - a cruelly rapacious person | |
| Verb | 1. | wolf - eat hastily; "The teenager wolfed down the pizza" eat - take in solid food; "She was eating a banana"; "What did you eat for dinner last night?" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
wolf
verb
noun
1. (Informal) womanizer, seducer, Don Juan, Casanova, philanderer, Lothario, lecher, lady-killer, lech or letch (informal) My grandfather is still an old wolf.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
wolf
nounSlang. A man who philanders:
Slang: lady-killer.
Idioms: man on the make, skirt chaser.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
wolf
[wʊlf]A. N (wolves (pl)) [wʊlvz]
1. (= animal) → lobo m
lone wolf (fig) → lobo m solitario
to cry wolf → dar una falsa alarma
to keep the wolf from the door → defenderse de or contra la miseria
a wolf in sheep's clothing → un lobo disfrazado de cordero
to throw sb to the wolves → arrojar a algn a los lobos
lone wolf (fig) → lobo m solitario
to cry wolf → dar una falsa alarma
to keep the wolf from the door → defenderse de or contra la miseria
a wolf in sheep's clothing → un lobo disfrazado de cordero
to throw sb to the wolves → arrojar a algn a los lobos
2. (= womanizer) → tenorio m
C. CPD wolf whistle N → silbido m de admiración
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
wolf
(wulf) – plural wolves (wulvz) – noun a type of wild animal of the dog family, usually found hunting in packs. lobo
verb to eat greedily. He wolfed (down) his breakfast and hurried out.zampar
ˈwolf-cub noun2. an old name for a Cub Scout. lobato
ˈwolf-whistle noun a whistle impolitely made by a man to express his admiration of a woman's appearance. silbido de admiración
keep the wolf from the door to keep away hunger or want. no pasar hambre
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
wolf
→ loboMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009