black wolf

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}.]
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   1. (Zool.) 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.
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   2. (Zool.) One of the destructive, and usually hairy, larvae
      of several species of beetles and grain moths; as, the bee
      wolf.
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   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.
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   4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries.
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   5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. {Lupus}. [Obs.]
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            If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf
            into thy side.                        --Jer. Taylor.
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   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.
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   7. (Textile Manuf.) A willying machine. --Knight.
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   {Black wolf}. (Zool.)
      (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} (Zool.), the Thibetan wolf ({Canis laniger});
      -- called also {chanco}.

   {Indian wolf} (Zool.), an Asiatic wolf ({Canis pallipes})
      which somewhat resembles a jackal. Called also {landgak}.
      

   {Prairie wolf} (Zool.), the coyote.

   {Sea wolf}. (Zool.) See in the Vocabulary.

   {Strand wolf} (Zool.) the striped hyena.

   {Tasmanian wolf} (Zool.), the zebra wolf.

   {Tiger wolf} (Zool.), the spotted hyena.

   {To keep the wolf from the door}, to keep away poverty; to
      prevent starvation. See {Wolf}, 3, above. --Tennyson.

   {Wolf dog}. (Zool.)
      (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} (Zool.), a wolf fish.

   {Wolf fish} (Zool.), 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} (Zool.), any one of numerous species of running
      ground spiders belonging to the genus {Lycosa}, or family
      {Lycosidae}. 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} (Zool.), a savage carnivorous marsupial
      ({Thylacinus cynocephalus}) native of Tasmania; -- called
      also {Tasmanian wolf}.
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