Wolf spider

Wolf spider
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}.] [1913 Webster] 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 ({Canis occidentalis}), and the prairie wolf, or coyote. Wolves often hunt in packs, and may thus attack large animals and even man. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries. [1913 Webster]

5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. {Lupus}. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf into thy side. --Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

7. (Textile Manuf.) A willying machine. --Knight. [1913 Webster]

{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 ({Anarrhichas 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}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • wolf spider — n. any of a family (Lycosidae) of active hunting spiders that are wanderers, living in the ground and not building webs …   English World dictionary

  • Wolf spider — Taxobox image width = 250px image caption = Wolf Spider: Hogna helluo regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Arachnida ordo = Araneae superfamilia = Lycosoidea familia = Lycosidae familia authority = Sundevall, 1833 diversity link = List …   Wikipedia

  • wolf spider — noun ground spider that hunts its prey instead of using a web • Syn: ↑hunting spider • Hypernyms: ↑spider • Hyponyms: ↑European wolf spider, ↑tarantula, ↑Lycosa tarentula …   Useful english dictionary

  • wolf spider — wolf′ spi der n. ivt any of numerous spiders of the family Lycosidae, living in crevices on the ground and hunting prey directly rather than capturing them in a web • Etymology: 1600–10 …   From formal English to slang

  • wolf spider — any of numerous ground spiders of the family Lycosidae, including the southern European tarantula, Lycosa taretula, that hunt their prey instead of using a web. [1600 10] * * * Name that originally referred to a species of southern European… …   Universalium

  • wolf spider — /ˈwʊlf spaɪdə/ (say woolf spuyduh) noun 1. the most common ground tunnelling Australian spider, Lycosa godeffroyi, often mistaken for a funnel web spider but harmless to humans. 2. any spider of the family Lycosidae, members of which do not spin… …  

  • wolf spider — any spider of the family Lycosidae …   Medical dictionary

  • wolf spider — noun a fast moving ground spider which runs after and springs on its prey. [Family Lycosidae.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • wolf spider — noun Date: 1608 any of various active wandering ground spiders (family Lycosidae) …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • wolf spider — noun Any of several spiders, of the family Lycosidae, that are known for stalking their prey on the ground and not building webs …   Wiktionary

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