English Explanatory Dictionary

werewolf

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

A person who is transformed or can transform into a wolf or a wolflike human, often said to do so during a full moon.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɛːwʊlf/ /ˈwɪəwʊlf/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-werewolf.wav /ˈwɛəɹwʊlf/ /ˈwɪəɹwʊlf/ /ˈwɜɹwʊlf/

Word forms

werewolf werewolves warwolf wehrwolf were wolf were-wolf werwolf

Etymology

From Middle English werwolf, from Old English werewulf, from Proto-West Germanic *werawulf, from Proto-West Germanic *wer (“man”) + *wulf (“wolf”). Cognate with Dutch weerwolf, Low German Warwulf, German Werwolf, Danish varulv, Swedish varulv, and even possibly Finnish vironsusi. By surface analysis, were- + wolf. * Compare French garou in loup-garou; French dialectal gairou, varou (“werewolf”); Medieval Latin gerulphus, garulphus (“werewolf”); all from Germanic, probably Frankish *werawulf.

Synonyms

Derived words

were- werewolfdom werewolfery werewolfess werewolf girdle werewolfish werewolfism werewolf syndrome werewolfy

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