wolverine
/ˌwʊlvəˈɹiːn/ noun
Forms wolverines wolverene wolvering
- noun A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.
- noun A native or resident of the American state of Michigan.
- noun Someone associated with the University of Michigan, for example as a student, alum, or sports team member, or as a fan.
Synonyms
carcajou skunkbear glutton quickhatch beaver eater Michigander Gulo gulo skunk bear Gulo luscus
Etymology
1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf.
From wolverine.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The glutton.
- noun A nickname for an inhabitant of Michigan. [U. S.]
Etymology [From Wolf, with a dim suffix; prob. so called from its supposed wolfish qualities.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “wolverine”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details