wolf

[ woo lf ]

/ wʊlf /

noun, plural wolves [woo lvz] /wʊlvz/.

any of several large carnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, of the dog family Canidae, especially C. lupus, usually hunting in packs, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere but now chiefly restricted to the more unpopulated parts of its range.

the fur of such an animal.

any of various wolflike animals of different families, as the thylacine.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Lupus.

the larva of any of various small insects infesting granaries.

a cruelly rapacious person.

Informal. a man who makes amorous advances to many women.

Music.

the harsh discord heard in certain chords of keyboard instruments, especially the organ, when tuned on some system of unequal temperament.
a chord or interval in which such a discord appears.
(in bowed instruments) a discordant or false vibration in a string due to a defect in structure or adjustment of the instrument.

verb (used with object)

to devour voraciously (often followed by down): He wolfed his food.

verb (used without object)

to hunt for wolves.

Idioms for wolf

cry wolf, to give a false alarm: Is she really sick or is she just crying wolf?

keep the wolf from the door, to avert poverty or starvation; provide sufficiently for: Their small inheritance kept the wolf from the door.

throw to the wolves. throw(def 57).

wolf in sheep's clothing, a person who conceals his or her evil intentions or character beneath an innocent exterior.

Origin of wolf

before 900; Middle English; Old English wulf; cognate with German Wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Polish wilk, Lithuanian vil̃kas, Sanskrit vṛka; akin to Latin lupus, Greek lýkos

OTHER WORDS FROM wolf

wolf·like, adjective

Words nearby wolf

wokingham, wokka board, wolcott, wold, wolds, wolf, wolf call, wolf cub, wolf dog, wolf herring, wolf in sheep's clothing

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

Wolf

/ (German vɔlf) /

noun

Friedrich August (ˈfriːdrɪç ˈauɡʊst). 1759–1824, German classical scholar, who suggested that the Homeric poems, esp the Iliad, are products of an oral tradition

Hugo (ˈhuːɡo). 1860–1903, Austrian composer, esp of songs, including the Italienisches Liederbuch and the Spanisches Liederbuch

(wʊlf) Howlin'. See Howlin' Wolf

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

wolf

/ (wʊlf) /

noun plural wolves (wʊlvz)

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 Related adjective: lupine

any of several similar and related canines, such as the red wolf and the coyote (prairie wolf)

the fur of any such animal

Tasmanian wolf another name for the thylacine

a voracious, grabbing, or fiercely cruel person or thing

informal a man who habitually tries to seduce women

informal the destructive larva of any of various moths and beetles

Also called: wolf note music

an unpleasant sound produced in some notes played on the violin, cello, etc, owing to resonant vibrations of the belly
an out-of-tune effect produced on keyboard instruments accommodated esp to the system of mean-tone temperamentSee temperament (def. 4)

cry wolf to give a false alarm

keep the wolf from the door to ward off starvation or privation

lone wolf a person or animal who prefers to be alone

throw to the wolves to abandon or deliver to destruction

wolf in sheep's clothing a malicious person in a harmless or benevolent disguise

verb

(tr often foll by down) to gulp (down)

(intr) to hunt wolves

Derived forms of wolf

wolfish, adjective wolflike, adjective

Word Origin for wolf

Old English wulf; related to Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Latin lupus and vulpēs fox

Cultural definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing

wolf in sheep's clothing

Figuratively, anyone who disguises a ruthless nature through an outward show of innocence. Jesus taught his followers to “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

wolf in sheep's clothing

An enemy disguised as a friend, as in Dan was a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to help but all the while spying for our competitors. This term comes from the ancient fable about a wolf that dresses up in the skin of a sheep and sneaks up on a flock. This fable has given rise to a rich history of allusions as in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus speaks of false prophets in sheep's clothing, “but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

wolf

In addition to the idiom beginning with wolf

wolf in sheep's clothing

also see:

cry wolf
keep the wolf from the door
lone wolf

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wolf

noun, plural wolves [woo lvz] /wʊlvz/.

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Idioms for wolf

Origin of wolf

OTHER WORDS FROM wolf

Words nearby wolf

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

noun plural wolves (wʊlvz)

verb

Derived forms of wolf

Word Origin for wolf

Cultural definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wolf

noun, plural wolves [woo lvz] /wʊlvz/.

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Idioms for wolf

Origin of wolf

OTHER WORDS FROM wolf

Words nearby wolf

Words related to wolf in sheep's clothing

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

noun plural wolves (wʊlvz)

verb

Derived forms of wolf

Word Origin for wolf

Cultural definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with wolf in sheep's clothing (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for wolf in sheep's clothing (1 of 2)