lone wolf
n a person who prefers to be alone
English Collins Dictionary - English Definition & Thesaurus
wolf
n pl , wolves
1 a predatory canine mammal, Canis lupus, which hunts in packs and was formerly widespread in North America and Eurasia but is now less common
See also →
timber wolf
Related adj →
lupine
2 any of several similar and related canines, such as the red wolf and the coyote (prairie wolf)
3 the fur of any such animal
4 ♦
Tasmanian wolf another name for the →
thylacine
5 a voracious, grabbing, or fiercely cruel person or thing
6 Informal a man who habitually tries to seduce women
7 Informal the destructive larva of any of various moths and beetles
8 (Also called)
wolf note (Music)
a an unpleasant sound produced in some notes played on the violin, cello, etc., owing to resonant vibrations of the belly
b an out-of-tune effect produced on keyboard instruments accommodated esp. to the system of mean-tone temperament
See →
temperament →
4
9 ♦
cry wolf to give a false alarm
10 ♦
keep the wolf from the door to ward off starvation or privation
11 ♦
lone wolf a person or animal who prefers to be alone
12 ♦
throw to the wolves to abandon or deliver to destruction
13 ♦
wolf in sheep's clothing a malicious person in a harmless or benevolent disguise
vb
14 tr; often foll by: down to gulp (down)
15 intr to hunt wolves
(Old English wulf; related to Old High German wolf, Old Norse ulfr, Gothic wulfs, Latin lupus and vulpes fox)
♦
wolfish adj
♦
wolflike adj
English Collins Dictionary - English Definition & Thesaurus
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"Collins English Dictionary 5th Edition first published in 2000 © HarperCollins Publishers 1979, 1986, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"