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wolves
wolves W0203300 (wo͝olvz)n. Plural of wolf.wolves (wʊlvz) n the plural of wolfwolf (wʊlf)
n., pl. wolves (wo͝olvz),
v. n. 1. any of several carnivorous mammals of the genus Canus, esp. the gray wolf, Canis lupus, formerly common throughout the Northern Hemisphere. 2. any of several other large canids, as the maned wolf. 3. the fur of such an animal. 4. any of various unrelated wolflike animals, as the thylacine. 5. a cruelly rapacious person. 6. a man who makes amorous advances to many women. 7. a pitch of unstable quality or loudness sometimes occurring in a bowed musical instrument. v.t. 8. to devour voraciously (often fol. by down): to wolf one's food. v.i. 9. to hunt for wolves. Idioms: 1. cry wolf, to give a false alarm. 2. keep the wolf from the door, to avert poverty or starvation. 3. wolf in sheep's clothing, a person who conceals evil beneath an innocent exterior. [before 900; Middle English; Old English wulf, c. Old Saxon wulf, Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Polish wilk, Skt vṛka; akin to Latin lupus, Greek lýkos] wolf′like`, adj. Wolf (vɔlf)
n. 1. Friedrich August, 1759–1824, German classical scholar. 2. Hugo, 1860–1903, Austrian composer. WolvesSee also animals.
lycanthrope1. a person suffering from lycanthropy.
2. a werewolf or alien spirit in the form of a bloodthirsty wolf.
3. a person reputed to be able to change himself or another person into a wolf.lycanthropy1. Psychiatry. Also called lycomania. a kind of insanity in which the patient believes himself to be a beast, especially a wolf.
2. the supposed or fabled assumption of the form of a wolf by a human being. — lycanthropic, adj.lycomanialycanthropy.Translationswolves
feed (someone) to the wolvesTo sacrifice someone to ruin, destruction, or hostility from others, especially for one's own benefit or survival. He cares nothing for the people he works with and is willing to feed them to the wolves if it means his stock might increase a bit. In the face of the scandal, the administration has been feeding to the wolves anyone they can use to deflect blame from themselves.See also: feed, wolveslone wolf1. Someone who does not seek or like the company of others. Shannon should have known Brad would break her heart—he's a lone wolf who doesn't like getting close to anybody. A: "Does he have any friends at school?" B: "No, I think he's a lone wolf."2. A terrorist who acts alone or independently of a larger group when carrying out an attack. The attack was carried out by another lone wolf who had no affiliation with terror groups but was inspired by radical postings online.See also: lone, wolfraised by wolvesA set phrase said of one who seems particularly uncouth and/or socially inept. Why are you eating spaghetti with your hands? Were you raised by wolves? He's so rude, it's like he was raised by wolves!See also: by, raised, wolvesthrow (one) to the wolvesTo put one in the position to be the recipient of blame, trouble, or criticism, often that which was intended for oneself. Tommy was caught with the marijuana in his backpack, but he threw me to the wolves and said it was mine. Our manager never hesitates to throw an underling to the wolves when something goes wrong in the office.See also: throw, wolveswolf at the/(one's) door1. A creditor or moneylender looking for repayment. I've had the wolves at my door ever since I took out that idiotic payday loan a year ago. With so many wolves at our door, I think I need to get a better paying job soon.2. Any impending or imminent source of danger, disaster, or ruin. This market trend is becoming wildly unsustainable and erratic, and this wolf at the door could threaten to plunge us into another recession. That country is not our ally—it is a wolf at our door, waiting for its opportunity to strike.See also: door, wolfthe wolf is at the/(one's) door1. Someone or something is facing imminent financial ruin or difficulty. Often used in plural constructions. The wolves have been at my door for so long that I don't really remember what it's like to not be on the verge of bankruptcy. As the economy continues to struggle, the wolf is at the door for many small businesses around the country.2. Some danger, threat, or calamity imminent or at hand. Often used in plural constructions. Our nation is facing unprecedented threats from all over the world. The wolves are at our door, and we need to be prepared to confront them. I fear that when it comes to climate change, the wolf is already at the door.See also: door, wolfthrow someone to the wolvesFig. to sacrifice someone to save the rest; to abandon someone to harm. (Fig. on the image of giving one person to the wolves to eat so the rest can get away.) Don't try to throw me to the wolves. I'll tell the truth about the whole affair! The investigation was going to be rigorous and unpleasant, and I could see they were going to throw someone to the wolves.See also: throw, wolveslone wolfA person who prefers to do without the company or assistance of others. For example, Her nursery school teacher described Beth as a lone wolf, an assessment her parents found astonishing . This expression alludes to the tendency of some species of wolf to hunt alone rather than in packs. [c. 1900] See also: lone, wolfthrow to the wolvesAlso, throw to the dogs or lions . Send to a terrible fate; sacrifice someone, especially so as to save oneself. For example, Leaving him with hostile reporters was throwing him to the wolves, or If Bob doesn't perform as they expect, they'll throw him to the lions. All three hyperbolic terms allude to the ravenous appetite of these animals, which presumably will devour the victim. The first term comes from Aesop's fable about a nurse who threatens to throw her charge to the wolves if the child does not behave. [First half of 1900s] See also: throw, wolvesthrow someone to the wolves If someone throws you to the wolves, they allow you to be criticized severely or treated badly, and they do not try to protect you. Being released into the general prison population was like being thrown to the wolves. Suddenly, aged 23, he was thrown to the wolves, and made to answer very personal and deeply insulting questions by a pack of journalists. Compare with throw someone to the lions.See also: someone, throw, wolveslone wolf a person who prefers to act alone.See also: lone, wolfthrow someone to the wolves leave someone to be roughly treated or criticized without trying to help or defend them. informal This phrase probably arose in reference to tales about packs of wolves pursuing travellers in horse-drawn sleighs, in which one person was pushed off the sleigh to allow it to go faster, so enabling the others to make their escape. 1958 Listener This able and agreeable doctor was thrown to the wolves by a Prime Minister who had good reason to know that his own position was desperate. See also: someone, throw, wolvesthrow somebody to the ˈwolves/ˈlions allow somebody to be attacked or remain in a difficult situation, perhaps because they are no longer useful or important to you: When he became politically unpopular the rest of his party just threw him to the wolves. OPPOSITE: save somebody’s baconSee also: lion, somebody, throw, wolveslone wolf n. a man who stays to himself. Fred is sort of a lone wolf until he has a few drinks. See also: lone, wolfthrow to the wolves, toTo abandon or deliver something or someone to a terrible fate. This term comes from Aesop’s fable about a nurse who threatens to throw her charge to the wolves unless the child behaves better. She never intends to carry out her threat, so the wolf waits in vain for its prey. It is the idea of sacrificing someone that survived in the cliché, as, for example, in Clarissa Cushman’s mystery I Wanted to Murder (1941): “She was his wife. He couldn’t throw her to the wolves.”See also: throwEncyclopediaSeewolfMedicalSeeWolf |