wolf

The word “wolf” means a large wild canine, Canis lupus, that lives and hunts in packs. In plain terms, the wild predator, or (as a verb) eating something fast and greedily.

“Wolf” is pronounced wuulf (/wʊlf/ in IPA).

Here is “wolf” used in a sentence: “He had a reputation as a wolf at parties.”

Words with a similar meaning to “wolf” include loafer, lobo, lofer, lover and loper.

Depending on how it is used, “wolf” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “wolf” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old English wulf, from a very old Germanic root shared with words across the Indo-European family, including Latin lupus and Ancient Greek λύκος (lykos) — both also meaning "wolf".

“Wolf” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Wolf” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large wild canine, Canis lupus, that lives and hunts in packs.

The plural of "wolf" is "wolves," formed by changing the "-f" to "-ves." This follows the same pattern as "half/halves" and "shelf/shelves."

Both are wild members of the dog family, but a wolf (Canis lupus) is generally larger and heavier and hunts in organized packs, while a coyote is smaller, more slender, and often hunts alone or in pairs. Wolves also tend to have a broader muzzle and shorter ears.

Idioms include "a wolf in sheep's clothing" (a danger disguised as harmless), "cry wolf" (to raise a false alarm), "lone wolf" (someone who acts alone), and "keep the wolf from the door" (to stave off hunger or poverty).