Dictionary

seawolf en · NOUN

Etymology

From Middle English sēwolf, from Old English *sǣwulf, equivalent to sea + wolf.

Meanings

1. A strong-jawed North Atlantic fish of wolffish family Anarhichadidae, Anarhichas lupus.
2. (archaic) An elephant seal.
3. Any of various dangerous people and animals that attack at sea.
   • The seawolf twisted onto itself, its jaws clopping together near its own tail. 1998, David Drake, Lord of the Isles, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 37:
   • Kebisu was regarded as a ferocious and cunning seawolf, who had raised his diminutive island to the state of marine fortress without so much as erecting a brush stockade; he had no fixed defences. 1978, Peter Pinney, Estelle Runcie, Too many spears, Angus & Robertson, →ISBN, page 60:
   • Benjamin stood, gasping for breath and looking down at the dead corsair. "You were a worthy foe, seawolf," he murmured regretfully. 1992, Shirl Henke, Return to Paradise, Leisure Books (Mm), →ISBN, page 408:

Forms

Relateds

seadog

Synonyms

sea cat · ocean catfish · Atlantic wolffish · Atlantic catfish

Translations (7)

fo steinbítur (Anarhichas lupus) · ru зуба́тка (Anarhichas lupus) · fi merikissa (Anarhichas lupus) · sq labrik (Anarhichas lupus) · sv havskatt (Anarhichas lupus) · fi kissakala (Anarhichas lupus) · pl zębacz (Anarhichas lupus)