werewolf

• werwolf, were-wolf, were wolf, wehrwolf, warwolf

From Middle English werwolf, from Old English werwulf, from Proto-Germanic *werawulfaz, from Proto-Germanic *weraz (“man”) + *wulfaz (“wolf”). Equivalent to wer +‎ wolf or were- +‎ wolf. Cognate with Dutch weerwolf, Low German Warwulf, German Werwolf, Danish varulv, Swedish varulv and even possibly Finnish vironsusi.

Compare also French garou, in loup-garou, French dialectal gairou, varou (“werewolf”), Medieval Latin gerulphus, garulphus (“werewolf”) (from Germanic).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈwɛːwʊlf/, /ˈwɪəwʊlf/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈwɛəɹwʊlf/, /ˈwɪəɹwʊlf/, /ˈwɜɹwʊlf/

werewolf (plural werewolves)

1. (mythology) A person who is transformed or can transform into a wolf or a wolflike human, often said to transform during a full moon.

• wolfman
• lycanthrope
• man-wolf

• wolfwoman

• werewolfdom
• werewolfish