Definition

1. Noun:

   • A predatory carnivorous mammal: A wild canine mammal (Canis lupus) typically living and hunting in packs.
   • A cruelly rapacious or greedy person: A person who is aggressively exploitative or predatory in nature.
   • A man who aggressively pursues amorous relationships: (Informal) A man who habitually and aggressively seeks out sexual encounters with women.
   • Proper Noun (Hugo Wolf): An Austrian composer of the late Romantic era (1860–1903).
   • Proper Noun (Friedrich August Wolf): A German classical scholar (1759–1824) known for his analysis of Homeric texts.

2. Verb:

   • To eat something quickly and voraciously: To consume food rapidly and greedily.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The howl of a lone wolf echoed through the forest.
  • In the business world, he was known as a ruthless wolf who would crush any competitor.
  • She warned her friend about the charming wolf at the bar.
  • The music of Hugo Wolf is known for its expressive lieder.
  • Friedrich August Wolf's theories revolutionized Homeric studies.

• Verb:

  • After the marathon, he wolfed down two sandwiches in a minute.
  • Don't just wolf your food; take your time and enjoy it.

Advanced Usage

• "to wolf down": A common phrasal verb meaning to eat something very quickly and eagerly.
  • She was so hungry that she wolfed down the entire plate of pasta.

Variants and Related Words

• Wolves (n): The standard plural form of the noun 'wolf'.
• Wolfish (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a wolf, especially in being rapacious, greedy, or sly.
  • He gave a wolfish grin.
• Wolfhound (n): A type of large dog originally bred to hunt wolves.
• Wolf pack (n): A group of wolves that live and hunt together.

Synonyms

• Noun (animal): Gray wolf, timber wolf, Canis lupus.
• Noun (person): Predator, exploiter, womanizer, philanderer (for the amorous sense).
• Verb: Gobble, gulp, devour, bolt (down).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Wolf down: To eat something very quickly.
  • He wolfed down his breakfast and ran out the door.

Related Idioms

• A wolf in sheep's clothing: A person who appears friendly or harmless but is actually hostile or dangerous.
  • Be careful of him; he's a real wolf in sheep's clothing.
• To cry wolf: To raise a false alarm, so that when a real problem arises, no one believes you. (Derived from Aesop's fable).
  • If you keep crying wolf about minor issues, no one will listen when it's serious.
• To keep the wolf from the door: To have just enough money to avoid hunger and poverty.
  • The part-time job was enough to keep the wolf from the door.
• To have/hold a wolf by the ears: To be in a dangerous or precarious situation where letting go is as risky as holding on.
  • The negotiations were so tense, the diplomat felt he was holding a wolf by the ears.
• Lone wolf: A person who prefers to act, work, or live alone.
  • He's a bit of a lone wolf and doesn't join team activities often.

Noun

1. a cruelly rapacious person
2. a man who is aggressive in making amorous advances to women
3. German classical scholar who claimed that the Iliad and Odyssey were composed by several authors (1759-1824)
4. Austrian composer (1860-1903)
5. any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs

Verb

1. eat hastily
   • The teenager wolfed down the pizza