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wolf  (wlf)
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Tweet n.pl. wolves(wlvz) 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. [Middle English, fromOld Englishwulf; see wkwo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]  (click for a larger image) wolfgray wolf Canis lupus |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Austrian composer known for his musical settings of the poetry of Goethe and Italian and Spanish writers and for the opera Der Corregidor (1895). |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
