2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Wolf  \Wolf\,  n.;  pl  {Wolves}.  [OE.  wolf,  wulf,  AS  wulf;  akin 
  to  OS  wulf,  D.  &  G.  wolf,  Icel.  [=u]lfr,  Sw  ulf,  Dan.  ulv, 
  Goth.  wulfs  Lith.  vilkas,  Russ.  volk',  L.  lupus,  Gr  ly`kos, 
  Skr.  v[.r]ka;  also  to  Gr  "e`lkein  to  draw,  drag,  tear  in 
  pieces.  [root]286.  Cf  {Lupine},  a.,  {Lyceum}.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  one  of  several  species  of  wild  and  savage 
  carnivores  belonging  to  the  genus  {Canis}  and  closely 
  allied  to  the  common  dog.  The  best-known  and  most 
  destructive  species  are  the  European  wolf  ({Canis  lupus}), 
  the  American  gray,  or  timber,  wolf  ({C.  occidentalis}), 
  and  the  prairie  wolf,  or  coyote.  Wolves  often  hunt  in 
  packs,  and  may  thus  attack  large  animals  and  even  man. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  One  of  the  destructive,  and  usually  hairy, 
  larv[ae]  of  several  species  of  beetles  and  grain  moths; 
  as  the  bee  wolf. 
 
  3.  Fig.:  Any  very  ravenous,  rapacious,  or  destructive  person 
  or  thing  especially,  want  starvation;  as  they  toiled 
  hard  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door. 
 
  4.  A  white  worm,  or  maggot,  which  infests  granaries. 
 
  5.  An  eating  ulcer  or  sore.  Cf  {Lupus}.  [Obs.] 
 
  If  God  should  send  a  cancer  upon  thy  face,  or  a  wolf 
  into  thy  side  --Jer.  Taylor. 
 
  6.  (Mus.) 
  a  The  harsh,  howling  sound  of  some  of  the  chords  on  an 
  organ  or  piano  tuned  by  unequal  temperament. 
  b  In  bowed  instruments,  a  harshness  due  to  defective 
  vibration  in  certain  notes  of  the  scale. 
 
  7.  (Textile  Manuf.)  A  willying  machine.  --Knight. 
 
  {Black  wolf}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  A  black  variety  of  the  European  wolf  which  is  common 
  in  the  Pyrenees. 
  b  A  black  variety  of  the  American  gray  wolf. 
 
  {Golden  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  Thibetan  wolf  ({Canis 
  laniger});  --  called  also  {chanco}. 
 
  {Indian  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  an  Asiatic  wolf  ({Canis  pallipes}) 
  which  somewhat  resembles  a  jackal.  Called  also  {landgak}. 
 
 
  {Prairie  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  coyote. 
 
  {Sea  wolf}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  in  the  Vocabulary. 
 
  {Strand  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.)  the  striped  hyena. 
 
  {Tasmanian  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  zebra  wolf. 
 
  {Tiger  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  spotted  hyena. 
 
  {To  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door},  to  keep  away  poverty;  to 
  prevent  starvation.  See  {Wolf},  3,  above.  --Tennyson. 
 
  {Wolf  dog}.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  a  The  mastiff,  or  shepherd  dog,  of  the  Pyrenees, 
  supposed  by  some  authors  to  be  one  of  the  ancestors  of 
  the  St  Bernard  dog. 
  b  The  Irish  greyhound,  supposed  to  have  been  used 
  formerly  by  the  Danes  for  chasing  wolves. 
  c  A  dog  bred  between  a  dog  and  a  wolf,  as  the  Eskimo 
  dog. 
 
  {Wolf  eel}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  wolf  fish. 
 
  {Wolf  fish}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  several  species  of  large 
  voracious  marine  fishes  of  the  genus  {Anarrhichas}, 
  especially  the  common  species  ({A.  lupus})  of  Europe  and 
  North  America.  These  fishes  have  large  teeth  and  powerful 
  jaws.  Called  also  {catfish},  {sea  cat},  {sea  wolf},  {stone 
  biter},  and  {swinefish}. 
 
  {Wolf  net},  a  kind  of  net  used  in  fishing,  which  takes  great 
  numbers  of  fish. 
 
  {Wolf's  peach}  (Bot.),  the  tomato,  or  love  apple 
  ({Lycopersicum  esculentum}). 
 
  {Wolf  spider}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  one  of  numerous  species  of 
  running  ground  spiders  belonging  to  the  genus  {Lycosa},  or 
  family  {Lycosid[ae]}.  These  spiders  run  about  rapidly  in 
  search  of  their  prey.  Most  of  them  are  plain  brown  or 
  blackish  in  color.  See  Illust.  in  App. 
 
  {Zebra  wolf}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  savage  carnivorous  marsupial 
  ({Thylacinus  cynocephalus})  native  of  Tasmania;  --  called 
  also  {Tasmanian  wolf}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Wolves  \Wolves\,  n., 
  pl  of  {Wolf}. 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words