wolf-cub

A wolf-cub learns to tie a knot during a scouting activity.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Young wolf: "wolf-cub" refers to the juvenile offspring of a wolf, typically before it reaches maturity.
   • A member of the Cub Scout section (in some organizations, especially historical or informal usage): In certain scouting traditions, "wolf-cub" is used to denote a young scout, akin to a Cub Scout, often associated with the Wolf Cub pack.

Usage Examples

• Young wolf:

  • The wolf-cub stayed close to its mother for protection. (The juvenile wolf remained near its parent for safety.)
  • We spotted a wolf-cub playing in the clearing. (We observed a young wolf engaging in playful activity in an open area.)

• Scouting term:

  • He joined the wolf-cub pack and learned basic survival skills. (He became a member of the junior scout group and acquired fundamental outdoor skills.)
  • The wolf-cubs gathered around the campfire for stories. (The young scouts assembled near the fire to listen to tales.)

Advanced Usage

• "Wolf-cub" in literature: Often used metaphorically to describe a young, fierce, or untamed individual, especially a child.
  • The orphan was a wolf-cub, wild and independent. (The child was like a young wolf, untamed and self-reliant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Wolf cub (n): a variant spelling, often hyphenated or written as two words, with the same meanings.

  • The wolf cub howled for its pack. (The young wolf made a loud cry to call its group.)

• Cub (n): a general term for the young of certain carnivorous mammals (e.g., bears, lions, wolves); also a member of the Cub Scout organization.

  • The bear cub followed its mother through the forest. (The young bear trailed its parent in the woods.)

Synonyms

• Young wolf: the juvenile of a wolf species.

• Wolf pup: another term for a wolf-cub, especially in zoological contexts.

  • The wolf pup has soft, grey fur. (The young wolf has a coat of fine, grey hair.)

• Cub scout: a member of the junior scouting program, though not a direct synonym for "wolf-cub" in scouting unless specified.

Related Idioms

• "Cub of the wolf": a rare, poetic phrase meaning a descendant or offspring of a wolf.
  • He was a cub of the wolf, born to roam the wild. (He was the offspring of a wolf, destined to live in nature.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Raise a wolf-cub: to care for a young wolf until it matures.

  • The ranger raised a wolf-cub after finding it abandoned. (The wildlife official nurtured the young wolf after discovering it left alone.)

• Train a wolf-cub (in scouting): to instruct a young scout in skills and values.

  • They trained the wolf-cubs in map-reading and knot-tying. (They taught the junior scouts how to read maps and tie knots.)